Unruly Chicagoans throw snowballs at ICE agents as street turns into chaotic tear-gas blizzard
Rowdy Chicago residents were seen throwing snowballs at federal ICE agents before the freezing streets were filled with clouds of tear gas.
The chaotic scene took place on Saturday in Elgin, Illinois, about 50 minutes outside of Chicago, as a massive crowd of anti-ICE protestors took to the streets to try and fight back against President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
Federal agents descended on the Chicago area as part of Operation Midway Blitz in early September, and in recent weeks they have been focusing on the Windy City’s suburbs.
Video of the dystopian clash has circulated on social media showing residents, some with gas masks on, scooping up icy snow and hurling it at officials.
As they did so, a large plume of smoke started to rise on the snowy street as a man screamed: ‘Woah! Watch out, gas!’
Several emergency sirens rang out in the background as another man, dressed in gray sweatpants and black hoodie, charged at agents with snowballs in his hand.
‘Don’t throw sh**,’ one person yelled as others tried to throw more snow balls through the foggy sky.
The clip then showed the other side of the street as protestors held up signs and went face-to-face with officials.
Anti-ICE protestors hurled snowballs at ICE agents on Saturday afternoon as the immigration crackdown continues in the Windy City
While people threw snow, agents deployed tear-gas canisters that created several clouds of smoke on the street. Noisy sirens were also heard ringing out during the dystopian scene
More tear gas rang out, and a massive boom was heard as many people quickly dispersed.
Toward the end of the video, a male agent was heard telling people to get out of the way before warning that the gas will be deployed.
He then threw the can on the front lawn of a home, narrowly hitting someone with it.
Some people were even burying the devices under the snow to try and control the impact of the tear-gas.
The dispute started when federal agents called local police for help after they were involved in a car crash while they conducted immigration raids in the area that morning.
The agent who called the collision told police the other person involved in the crash had fled the scene, ABC 7 reported.
Another call came in less than an hour later over a report of masked people on their property. They were later determined to be ICE agents.
Then just after noon, officers with the Elgin Police Department responded to multiple reports of shots fired, but later determined that was not the case.
It was during that time that federal officials ‘dispersed chemical irritants.’ The deployment of tear gas is known to make a loud noise that can mimic a gunshot.
At least seven people were treated for chemical exposure. It is unclear if anyone was arrested
Christina Chandler, a local who watched the mayhem unfold, told the outlet that a lot of it happened right in front of her home.
‘I saw ICE drag people to the ground. I saw ICE spray people in the face,’ she said.
‘I mean they literally threw a smoke bomb right in front of my house, three of them in front of my house with my daughter in the house, and they smoked that inside of my house.’
As a result, at least seven people were treated for chemical exposure, officials said.
It is unclear if anyone was arrested in connection to the incident, but the department said they will keep responding to calls no matter what.
‘The Elgin Police Department will continue to respond to any calls for service and determine the appropriate action within the parameters of the Illinois Trust Act which prohibits Elgin officers from assisting with federal immigration enforcement operations,’ the agency told the outlet.
