Numerous officers from the Chicago Police Department were left incapacitated after being “accidentally” exposed to tear gas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Saturday, according to confirmation from both the Chicago Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
The National Guard was deployed to Chicago on Saturday to address what President Donald Trump claimed was “out-of-control crime” amid ongoing conflicts between ICE agents and protesters. The situation has sparked widespread concern and raised questions about the conduct of federal agencies in the city.
Chicago has become a focal point in the national debate over immigration enforcement and the protection of constitutional rights. Protests against ICE have intensified since the summer, with demonstrators growing more radicalized as they react to the way law enforcement and ICE handle their gatherings.
Police Officers Tear-Gassed
On Saturday, at least five officers were affected by tear gas that was allegedly thrown from a moving SUV by ICE agents. Bystanders reported having to flee the area due to the sudden exposure to the gas. Not all those affected were part of the protest, as noted by CBS.
“I was offended… 37 years working… I’ve worked with a lot of federal agencies on criminal investigations, and that has never happened. We might not always see eye-to-eye, but we find a way to work it out.”
Broadview City Police Chief Thomas Mills shared his frustration, stating that this is not the first time poorly trained ICE agents have targeted his officers. He referenced an incident in September where he was verbally assaulted by an ICE agent, emphasizing that in his 37 years on the force, he had never witnessed such violent and unprofessional behavior from federal agents.
Poorly Trained Agents
President Donald Trump has set a goal to double the number of ICE agents by the end of 2025. Historically, training for ICE agents lasted five months, focusing on understanding the law and the Constitution. The agency once took pride in its expertise in non-lethal arrest methods and de-escalation techniques.
However, under the Trump administration, the training period has been drastically reduced to just 47 days, according to The Atlantic. This has led to instability within ICE’s leadership as the agency struggles to meet the high deportation targets set by the administration.
This has resulted in an agency run by what some describe as unqualified ideologists. California Representative Robert Garcia expressed concern that “It is deeply concerning that DHS may be allowing a temporary appointee to function as a senior executive without proper appointment.”
Currently, ICE has over 6,000 deportation officers, with plans to add another 8,000 by the end of 2025. To attract candidates, ICE is offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000 USD and has removed age restrictions. Before August 2025, agents had to be between 21 and 40 years old, but these limits are now gone. The minimum age to become an ICE agent is now 18.
The qualifications for applicants are minimal: pass a background check and meet basic fitness and medical standards. No prior law enforcement experience is required, and trainees can be armed and deployed within 50 days.
Clashes with Police This Weekend
Tensions between ICE and protesters reached a peak on Thursday when multiple demonstrators attempted to block ICE vehicles. One U.S. citizen was hospitalized after being shot five times by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer following a collision.
At least ten vehicles tried to impede the movement of federal agents, but no officers were injured. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at DHS, stated that “Agents were unable to move their vehicles and exited the car. One of the drivers who rammed the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon.”
She added that “Law enforcement was forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed U.S. citizen who drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds.” However, law enforcement has not confirmed whether the victim was armed, contradicting DHS’s statement.
Following the incident, President Trump announced on Saturday that he would deploy 300 National Guard troops to Illinois to assist with “out-of-control crime.” On Monday, he threatened to send an additional 400 troops from Texas’s National Guard.
Illinois and Chicago Sue
The state of Illinois and the City of Chicago filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, alleging that the plan to use American soldiers to target political opponents was part of a broader pattern of threats from Trump and his allies.
The lawsuit argued that the deployment of troops was “patently unlawful” and urged the court to halt the “illegal, dangerous, and unconstitutional federalization of members of the National Guard.”
It also cited Illinois’ right to self-governance and warned that the government’s actions would only increase unrest in Chicago.
A Consistent Presence in Broadview
Protesters have maintained a strong presence at the Broadview ICE facility, just outside Chicago, shutting down the Northbound exit of Beach Street onto Lexington Street for weeks. In response, ICE has installed three-foot-tall concrete barricades to manage the crowd.
Over 1,000 people have been detained by immigration enforcement in Chicago in 2025, including more than 900 during ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz.”
