CHICAGO (AP) — Just before noon on a sunny Friday earlier this month, federal immigration agents threw tear gas canisters onto a busy Chicago street, just outside of an elementary school and a children’s play cafe.
Parents, teachers and caretakers rushed to shield children from the chaos, and have been grappling ever since with how to explain to them what they’d seen: how much to tell them so they know enough to stay safe, but not too much to rob them of their innocence.
Weeks later, families — even those not likely in danger of being rounded up in immigration raids — say they remain terrified it will happen again, demonstrating how fear seeps into every facet of American life when the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown takes over a city.
Why did the agents tear gas a residential neighborhood?
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Border Patrol agents were “impeded by protesters” during a targeted enforcement operation in which one man was arrested.
The Chicago crackdown, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” began in early September. Masked, armed agents in unmarked trucks patrol neighborhoods, and residents have protested in ways big and small against what they see as their city under siege.
DHS wrote that its agents are being terrorized: “Our brave officers are facing a surge in increase in assaults against them, inducing sniper attacks, cars being used as weapons on them, and assaults by rioters. This violence against law enforcement must END. We will not be deterred by rioters and protesters in keeping America safe.”
The agents arrived in an unmarked SUV about half a block from Funston Elementary School in Logan Square. Videos show they were being tailed by cars that were honking their horns to alert neighbors that this was an immigration enforcement operation. The SUV’s passenger side window rolled down and a masked man inside threw the tear gas canisters onto the street.
Witnesses reported no prior warning before the tear gas was deployed. Fifth-grade teacher Liza Oliva-Perez, who was walking nearby, recounted her confusion and fear as the chaos unfolded.
Toddlers were having lunch at a play cafe down the street
A half-dozen toddlers at the nearby Luna y Cielo Play Cafe were hurried to safety by their caretakers. Even the adults, who were legally allowed to work in the U.S., were terrified. The incident left lasting emotional scars on the children, some of whom have since shown signs of trauma, leading parents to seek therapy.
Teachers and community members rushed to protect the children, organizing efforts to ensure their safety. Teachers at Funston Elementary reassured students about their safety, but there was a collective dread about how to manage future encounters with immigration enforcement.
Neighborhood residents voiced their opposition to the actions taken by DHS, emphasizing that children should never have to endure such fear. The community is now united in standing against the perceived injustices of the immigration enforcement actions in their area.
“You don’t mess with the kids. You don’t go near the schools,” said a local teacher, highlighting the community's resolve to protect their children from similar traumatic experiences in the future.
