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 stumbled upon federal immigration agents, the family disclosed. Rafael Veraza recounted the incident that took place in a Sam’s Club parking lot in Cicero on Saturday, amidst escalating clashes between immigration agents and frustrated area residents. The suburb shares a border with the Chicago neighborhood of Little Village, a predominantly Mexican enclave that has been a focal point of a federal immigration crackdown in recent months.
Veraza mentioned that they were in their car when they heard a helicopter and honking, which are common signals in the Chicago area that federal agents are nearby. Sensing the situation, they decided to leave. However, a masked agent pointed a pepper-spray gun through their vehicle’s open window and discharged it. The spray hit Veraza in the face, affecting his daughter as well, as captured in a video taken by the family.
“My daughter was trying to open her eyes,” Veraza told reporters, with his wife holding their daughter close by. “She was struggling to breathe.” He clarified that they were not protesting, honking their horns, or attempting to interfere.
The incident occurred on a day of chaotic encounters in an operation that has resulted in over 3,200 arrests of individuals suspected of violating immigration laws in the Chicago area. Agents from Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been criticized for their aggressive tactics, including the liberal use of chemical agents across the city and its suburbs.
The tensions unfolded as a federal judge in Chicago issued an extensive injunction limiting federal agents’ use of force. The order restricts agents from using certain riot control weapons, such as tear gas and pepper balls, unless objectively necessary to prevent an immediate threat. It also prohibits agents from using physical force, including shoving protesters and journalists to the ground.
Separately, ICE has been directed to make improvements at a suburban processing center that activists claim functions as a de facto detention center with inhumane conditions. The situation remains tense as federal officials continue their enforcement operations in the area.
