Tear gas in Elgin
Federal immigration agents abducted a community member from an apartment complex in the western suburb of Elgin on Saturday, then used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse a crowd of neighbors that had gathered around them.
The violence unleashed on an otherwise quiet, residential street marked the feds’ first known use of chemical munitions in the Chicago area since protesters, media, and faith groups moved to dismiss a federal lawsuit that had sought to limit their use. (Full disclosure: I submitted a declaration, and the Reader’s editorial union, the Chicago News Guild, was a party to the suit.)
The hourslong standoff began after a car driven by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents collided with an Elgin man’s car. The man then reportedly fled to a nearby apartment complex and refused to leave. That’s when a crowd of neighbors, community rapid responders, and elected officials began to gather…