Tag: protest in chicago today

BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — Reps. Chuy Garcia and Delia Ramirez are expected to speak outside the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility about recent operations in the area later Saturday morning.

Protesters gathered outside that ICE detention center on Friday, with video showing what appears to be pepper balls being used against some of the demonstrators that evening. Video also shows at least one demonstrator being dragged away.

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Demonstrations were also seen in other northwest suburbs on Friday night after an ICE agent allegedly shot a man to death in Franklin Park earlier in the day.

Federal agents say they were trying to make a traffic stop when Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a man the Department of Homeland Security says was undocumented with a criminal history of reckless driving, allegedly drove at the officer, dragging him in the process.

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That’s when, officials say, the officer fired shots, striking Villegas-Gonzalez, who later died at the hospital.

Cellphone video obtained by ABC7 shows the moment ICE officers removed the man from his crashed car near Grand and Elder Lane. ABC7 froze the video since it is too graphic to show.

DHS said in a statement, in part, “We are praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer. He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement.”

READ MORE | U.S. reps. denied access to Broadview immigration facility; Speaker Johnson tours Chicago ICE office

Villegas-Gonzalez’ girlfriend and stepdaughter, who asked ABC7 not to show their faces, say he was a working 38-year-old father of three from Mexico who has lived in the United States for more than 20 years.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called Friday’s events in Franklin Park troubling.

Meanwhile, a group of local Catholics will gather for what organizers are calling a people’s Mass outside Naval Station Great Lakes, which is hosting federal immigration agents as they carry out operations in the Chicago area.

The Mass, set to begin at 10 a.m., will serve as a peaceful and spiritual protest against the Trump administration’s mobilization of ICE to Chicago.

RELATED | Broadview protesters demand release of Chicago mother detained by ICE during routine check-in