Father and Daughter Pepper-Sprayed by Federal Agents in Chicago

Tue Nov 11 2025 00:16:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Chicago suburban father's shopping trip turned chaotic when he and his one-year-old daughter were pepper-sprayed at close range by immigration agents. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions as federal authorities intensified their crackdowns in the area.

Rafael Veraza and his daughter encountered federal immigration agents while shopping at a Sam's Club in Cicero, Illinois. When attempting to leave, they were pepper-sprayed through their car window. Local residents have raised concerns over the aggressive tactics being used by federal agents in the ongoing immigration crackdown, resulting in multiple protests. The Department of Homeland Security denies the family's claims, stating no crowd control measures were used during the incident.

CHICAGO (AP) — A suburban Chicago father and his 1-year-old daughter were pepper-sprayed at close range as they headed grocery shopping over the weekend and happened upon federal immigration agents, the family said.

Rafael Veraza said the incident happened in a Sam’s Club parking lot in Cicero on Saturday, amid escalating clashes that day between immigration agents and frustrated area residents. The suburb shares a border with the Chicago neighborhood of Little Village, a largely Mexican enclave that has frequently been at the center of a federal immigration crackdown that began two months ago in the nation’s third-largest city.

Veraza said they were in their car when they heard a helicopter and honking, signs in the area that federal agents are nearby. Deciding to leave, a masked agent then pointed a pepper-spray gun through their vehicle’s open window and fired. The cloudy substance affected both Veraza and his daughter, according to the video taken by the family.

“My daughter was trying to open her eyes,” Veraza recounted, as his wife comforted their visibly distressed child. “She was struggling to breathe.”

The family emphasized they were merely trying to exit the situation and not protesting or interfering with the agents. However, a longtime pastor in the area who arrived shortly after the incident described the scene, saying, “A family, and I shouldn’t have to say this, but guess what? All U.S. citizens attacked while shopping. We need a better way.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has firmly denied the family’s account, stating, “There was no crowd control or pepper spray deployed in a Sam’s Club parking lot,” according to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Amidst this incident, tensions were high as federal agents continued their crackdown in the Chicago area, leading to more than 3,200 arrests. The tactics employed by agents from Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have drawn significant scrutiny and legal challenges.

Area residents have voiced their concerns on multiple occasions, with many arguing that federal agents have adopted aggressive and disproportionate tactics in their enforcement operations. Activists and local leaders continue to call for reforms in how federal immigration laws are enforced.