Armed Border Patrol Agents Disrupt Peaceful Downtown Day: ‘It’s Horrifying’
The federal troops were seen in Millennium Park, on the Magnificent Mile and in the Gold Coast — days after patrolling the Chicago River in a boat. “This is another brazen provocation from the Trump administration,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
by Charles Thrush/Block Club Chicago
21 hours ago.
DOWNTOWN — Large groups of border patrol agents marched through Downtown Sunday afternoon, patrolling some of the most high-trafficked spots in the city and detaining members of a family at Millennium Park, according to witnesses and local officials.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers dressed in uniform were first spotted near Millennium Park around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to street performers Bill and Ian, who play live music across the street on Michigan Avenue.
They were also seen marching up Michigan Avenue, stationed along Wacker Driver and in the Gold Coast, according to witnesses and social media video. Local officials condemned the deployment — which has long been threatened by President Donald Trump — saying there was no need for a militarized presence Downtown.
“It was a group of about 30 border patrol guys,” Ian said. “I really don’t know why they’re here – this is a very peaceful part of the city.”
Greg Bovino, the chief U.S. Border Patrol agent, told the Sun-Times/WBEZ that people were being targeted based on how they look.
“You know, there’s many different factors that go into something like that,” Bovino told a reporter. “It would be agent experience, intelligence that indicates there’s illegal aliens in a particular place or location.
“Then, obviously, the particular characteristics of an individual, how they look. How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said to a white reporter, according to the Sun-Times.
Lindsay Rich witnessed a family of four stopped by the federal agents in Millennium Park Sunday. All four family members — a man, woman, young girl and toddler — were detained and taken away in a white van by the agents.
The young girl in the family was crying and was seen holding a doll, Rich said. The incident was caught on video and shared on social media.
“I can’t help but think of the trauma this will cause for the young kids,” she said.
Officers, some armed with long guns, were also seen walking Michigan Avenue north of Millennium Park and on North Clark Street in the Gold Coast, according to witnesses and video posted to social media.
Danielle Rabie and her husband, Devin, were taking a stroll near the intersection of West Chicago Avenue and North Clark Street in the Gold Coast when they encountered a group of roughly 50 Customs and Border Patrol Officers marching down both sides of Clark Street, eventually dispersing into several unmarked law enforcement vehicles.
The group was led by an agent armed with an assault rifle, and most of the officers seen in photographs are wearing face coverings.
Some of the officers crowded on a Gold Coast intersection were greeted with chants of “shame” from neighbors, video shows.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the patrols are a “brazen provocation” by Trump’s administration.
“While Chicagoans and visitors are enjoying another gorgeous Sunday, they are being intimidated and threatened by masked federal agents flaunting automatic weapons for no apparent reason,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is another brazen provocation from the Trump administration that does nothing to make our city safer. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.”
On Friday, armed Border Patrol agents patrolled the main branch of the Chicago River.
At least two boats were spotted Thursday afternoon around the Chicago Harbor Lock, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as an agent snapped photos of others onboard with Downtown’s Trump Tower as the backdrop.
Gregory Bovino, a chief patrol agent for Customs and Border Protection, joined for the ride Friday and later posted clips from the cruise on social media to the tune of Djo’s Chicago anthem, “End of Beginning.”
The boats were seen on the river Sunday, according to WGN’s Brónagh Tumulty.
An emergency press conference was held by the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights Sunday in response to the federal operation downtown earlier in the day. Several elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Rep. Chuy Garcia and Alds. Jessie Fuentes and Byron Sigcho Lopez spoke at the press conference.
“Today we witnessed the further militarization of ICE tactics in Chicago as they showed up downtown to indiscriminately continue to profile against people just because of what they look like their appearance,” Garcia said.
Johnson’s chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, said at the press conference the mayor’s office pledges to ensure that Chicago Police officers remain unmasked, uniformed and non-cooperative with federal agents.
A large group of protesters followed the group of armed officers from Michigan Avenue into the Gold Coast neighborhood, chanting “Get out of Chicago” and “Pigs” at the group.
It is unclear how many arrests were made during the operation. Multiple construction workers were reportedly arrested at a Downtown construction site and a food cart was left vacant near the Art Institute of Chicago, officials said at Sunday’s press conference.
The Street Vendors Relief Fund was set up by the Street Vendors Association of Chicago earlier this week to address pressures on street vendor workers suffering at the hands of federal immigration enforcement operations in the city.
“Right now, our community is living in fear,” organizer Maria Orozco wrote in the GoFundMe’s description. “The current political climate and ICE enforcement threats are silencing vendors, keeping many from working and leaving families without income. … The emotional toll is just as heavy: parents and grandparents are afraid to leave their homes, and children carry the stress of uncertainty.”
On Thursday morning, beloved Back of the Yards tamale vendor Laura Murillo was arrested and taken by immigration agents.
by Charles Thrush/Block Club Chicago
21 hours ago.
DOWNTOWN — Large groups of border patrol agents marched through Downtown Sunday afternoon, patrolling some of the most high-trafficked spots in the city and detaining members of a family at Millennium Park, according to witnesses and local officials.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers dressed in uniform were first spotted near Millennium Park around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to street performers Bill and Ian, who play live music across the street on Michigan Avenue.
They were also seen marching up Michigan Avenue, stationed along Wacker Driver and in the Gold Coast, according to witnesses and social media video. Local officials condemned the deployment — which has long been threatened by President Donald Trump — saying there was no need for a militarized presence Downtown.
“It was a group of about 30 border patrol guys,” Ian said. “I really don’t know why they’re here – this is a very peaceful part of the city.”
Greg Bovino, the chief U.S. Border Patrol agent, told the Sun-Times/WBEZ that people were being targeted based on how they look.
“You know, there’s many different factors that go into something like that,” Bovino told a reporter. “It would be agent experience, intelligence that indicates there’s illegal aliens in a particular place or location.
“Then, obviously, the particular characteristics of an individual, how they look. How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said to a white reporter, according to the Sun-Times.
Lindsay Rich witnessed a family of four stopped by the federal agents in Millennium Park Sunday. All four family members — a man, woman, young girl and toddler — were detained and taken away in a white van by the agents.
The young girl in the family was crying and was seen holding a doll, Rich said. The incident was caught on video and shared on social media.
“I can’t help but think of the trauma this will cause for the young kids,” she said.
Officers, some armed with long guns, were also seen walking Michigan Avenue north of Millennium Park and on North Clark Street in the Gold Coast, according to witnesses and video posted to social media.
Danielle Rabie and her husband, Devin, were taking a stroll near the intersection of West Chicago Avenue and North Clark Street in the Gold Coast when they encountered a group of roughly 50 Customs and Border Patrol Officers marching down both sides of Clark Street, eventually dispersing into several unmarked law enforcement vehicles.
The group was led by an agent armed with an assault rifle, and most of the officers seen in photographs are wearing face coverings.
Some of the officers crowded on a Gold Coast intersection were greeted with chants of “shame” from neighbors, video shows.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the patrols are a “brazen provocation” by Trump’s administration.
“While Chicagoans and visitors are enjoying another gorgeous Sunday, they are being intimidated and threatened by masked federal agents flaunting automatic weapons for no apparent reason,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is another brazen provocation from the Trump administration that does nothing to make our city safer. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.”
On Friday, armed Border Patrol agents patrolled the main branch of the Chicago River.
At least two boats were spotted Thursday afternoon around the Chicago Harbor Lock, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as an agent snapped photos of others onboard with Downtown’s Trump Tower as the backdrop.
Gregory Bovino, a chief patrol agent for Customs and Border Protection, joined for the ride Friday and later posted clips from the cruise on social media to the tune of Djo’s Chicago anthem, “End of Beginning.”
The boats were seen on the river Sunday, according to WGN’s Brónagh Tumulty.
An emergency press conference was held by the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights Sunday in response to the federal operation downtown earlier in the day. Several elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Rep. Chuy Garcia and Alds. Jessie Fuentes and Byron Sigcho Lopez spoke at the press conference.
“Today we witnessed the further militarization of ICE tactics in Chicago as they showed up downtown to indiscriminately continue to profile against people just because of what they look like their appearance,” Garcia said.
Johnson’s chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, said at the press conference the mayor’s office pledges to ensure that Chicago Police officers remain unmasked, uniformed and non-cooperative with federal agents.
A large group of protesters followed the group of armed officers from Michigan Avenue into the Gold Coast neighborhood, chanting “Get out of Chicago” and “Pigs” at the group.
It is unclear how many arrests were made during the operation. Multiple construction workers were reportedly arrested at a Downtown construction site and a food cart was left vacant near the Art Institute of Chicago, officials said at Sunday’s press conference.
The Street Vendors Relief Fund was set up by the Street Vendors Association of Chicago earlier this week to address pressures on street vendor workers suffering at the hands of federal immigration enforcement operations in the city.
“Right now, our community is living in fear,” organizer Maria Orozco wrote in the GoFundMe’s description. “The current political climate and ICE enforcement threats are silencing vendors, keeping many from working and leaving families without income. … The emotional toll is just as heavy: parents and grandparents are afraid to leave their homes, and children carry the stress of uncertainty.”
On Thursday morning, beloved Back of the Yards tamale vendor Laura Murillo was arrested and taken by immigration agents.
