High-Speed Police Chase Sparks Controversy in Chicago as Protests Erupt

Wed Oct 15 2025 06:05:49 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A high-speed pursuit of a suspect led to a protest in Chicago's South Side, prompting the deployment of tear gas by federal agents to disperse crowds.

A high-speed chase involving federal Border Patrol agents in Chicago's South Side concluded with an arrest that incited protests. The situation escalated as protesters gathered, leading to federal agents using tear gas against what was described as an 'abominable' treatment of citizens expressing their views against immigration enforcement. This incident reflects ongoing tensions between federal authorities and local communities in response to recent immigration operations.

CHICAGO (AP) — A high-speed chase involving Border Patrol agents led to the pursued person’s arrest Tuesday afternoon in a residential street on Chicago's South Side, authorities said, and footage from the scene shows protesters gathering before agents deployed tear gas to disperse them.

While federal agents conducted an immigration enforcement operation, a driver suspected of being in the country illegally rammed into a Border Patrol vehicle before fleeing, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said. The agents chased the vehicle until the driver stopped and attempted to run away.

As agents arrested the person, a crowd began to form. The Chicago Police Department confirmed that federal agents deployed tear gas as crowd control methods were used. Footage from local news shows dozens of protesters waving flags as federal agents and local police officers attempted to hold them back, with clouds of tear gas enveloping the area.

According to the CPD, officers arrived following a 911 call about a car accident involving federal authorities. Some members of the crowd began throwing objects at federal agents, prompting further law enforcement response. Thirteen Chicago police officers were reported to have been exposed to tear gas.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized the federal agents' actions, calling their treatment of protesters “abominable” and asserting that they faced tear gas and rubber bullets while merely expressing their rights to assemble.

Protests over federal immigration enforcement have been prevalent across Chicago, especially outside a federal immigration facility in Broadview, with demonstrators often following federal vehicles to voice their dissent. The situation illustrates the growing tensions between federal immigration policies and community responses in Illinois.

In related news, immigration activists rallied in Springfield, pushing for an expansion of protections under the state’s Trust Act, which limits cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.