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Chicago Pastor Struck by Pepper Balls During Immigration Protest, Video Shows
A disturbing video has surfaced showing a Chicago pastor being hit by pepper balls fired by heavily armed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during an immigration protest last month. The incident occurred near an ICE facility in the Broadview area, sparking renewed concerns over the tactics used during demonstrations.
The footage, which circulated widely online, depicts Rev. David Black, a minister at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, wearing his clerical collar.
He is seen standing at street level, extending his arms upwards toward three masked ICE agents in tactical gear who were positioned atop a building. As Rev.
Black began to lower his arms, one of the agents reportedly fired pepper balls in the direction of the protesters. The video then shows Black being struck by a pellet, resulting in a puff of white smoke near his head, before he drops to his knees, clutching his face.
According to a Religion News Service article, Rev. Black stated that he was praying and inviting the agents to “repentance” just moments before he was hit.
“I basically offered an altar call,” Black reportedly said. He also claimed he “could hear the agents laughing” after the assault.
This incident is one of several confrontations that have taken place in recent weeks near the Broadview ICE detention facility. Demonstrators have been protesting the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” an immigration enforcement initiative targeting individuals in the country without legal status who also have criminal records or pending charges.
Reports indicate that ICE agents, often masked, have frequently responded to these protests with force. This includes firing non-lethal rounds, deploying gas canisters, and making arrests. There have also been accounts of protesters, including at least one local Democratic candidate, being thrown to the ground.
Rev. Black is part of a burgeoning national faith-based movement pushing back against current immigration policies.
Faith groups have also pursued legal avenues, challenging these policies in court. Black is listed as a plaintiff in a lawsuit recently filed against Department of Homeland Security leadership.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the First and Fourth Amendments, arguing that clergy and faith-based demonstrators have been subjected to violence that infringes upon the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.