The presence of immigration enforcement in Chicago has been in the news a lot lately. Many of the stories have been about Chicagoans resisting ICE and DHS by doing things like escaping officers by bike and chasing them down in their cars.
Some viral videos, though, have shown ICE’s hostility — and even violence — toward citizens and protestors.
In a video captured last month, a group was protesting at an ICE detention facility outside of Chicago. The crowd of protestors jeers at a group of agents pacing the roof of the building.
Among the protestors was Rev. David Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church. In the clip, he stands with his arms open wide; he later told media that he was inviting the agents “to repentance.”
Seconds later, one of the agents on the roof fires a pepper ball, a chemical agent similar to pepper spray.
It hits Rev. Black.
He falls to the ground, and other protestors rush to his side.
You can watch the full clip here.
The video of this incident is just as bad as it sounds. The priest is standing there, not doing anything remotely illegal, and without warning a masked DHS agent on the roof shoots him in the top of his head with a pepper ball. https://t.co/uSerg1H5oXpic.twitter.com/UvP3bZ7yJn
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) October 8, 2025ReichlinMelnick / jackmjenkins / Religion News Service / Via Twitter: @ReichlinMelnick
“ICE thugs in Chicago shot a priest in the head with a pepper ball for the crime of quietly praying,” one user wrote.
“Nothing says MAGA Christian like shooting a priest in the head with a rubber bullet,” this person wrote.
ICE issued a statement after the incident that read: “‘If you are obstructing law enforcement, you can expect to be met with force.'”
There was also discussion of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s appearance on CNN to talk about immigration enforcement presence in American cities. “…When ICE officers have to street battle against Antifa, hand-to-hand combat, to come and go every night to come and go from their building…” Miller says in the viral clip posted online.
Stephen Miller: “ICE officers have to street battle against Antifa, hand to hand combat every night.” pic.twitter.com/gEC1PCnGIr
— Ken Klippenstein (NSPM-7 Compliant) (@kenklippenstein) October 6, 2025kenklippenstein / CNN / Via Twitter: @kenklippenstein
“That’s a weird way to describe throwing harmless old ladies to the ground,” one user wrote.
“‘Hand to hand combat’ and it’s ICE agents shooting a priest at point blank range while an inflatable frog twerks in the background,” this person said. 2025 in a nutshell, don’t you think?
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