Video: Demoralized Democrats Rally to Besiege ICE Center in Chicago

In Chicago, the growing clash between law and order and unchecked activism reached a boiling point on Friday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers found themselves under siege as protesters descended on the Broadview Processing Center, openly attempting to block federal vehicles, obstruct officers, and even vandalize government property. According to reports, protesters went as far as slashing the tires of an official vehicle—clear evidence of the escalating hostility toward federal agents simply trying to enforce the law.

The federal response was firm but necessary. When protesters surged forward past barricades, ICE officers deployed gas canisters to push back the crowd and restore order. Video footage shows demonstrators pressing toward officers, their intent less about free expression and more about physically disrupting lawful enforcement operations. This was not spontaneous; it bore the hallmarks of an organized campaign to undermine immigration law at its core.

“These riots outside the ICE Broadview Processing Center and attacks on ICE officers come after Democrat politicians, including Governor Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, have villainized and demonized ICE law enforcement,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement emailed to Breitbart News.

The statement cuts to the heart of the matter. For years, Democratic leaders in Illinois and beyond have championed sanctuary policies that shield illegal immigrants from accountability. These policies not only tie the hands of law enforcement but also embolden agitators who believe they can operate above the law. Friday’s events made that painfully clear.

Federal officials confirmed several arrests, including Kat Abughazalehm, a far-left candidate for Congress. Abughazalehm, a Palestinian activist and former Media Matters staffer, only moved to Chicago last year with the ambition of unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky. She has never even voted in Chicago, yet she was on the front lines trying to block federal vehicles—hardly the conduct of a would-be lawmaker.

Also present was Chicago Alderman Andre Vasquez, who openly admitted his participation in obstructing ICE’s work. It is telling when local elected officials choose to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with rioters rather than with the men and women tasked with protecting the public from dangerous criminal aliens.

DHS later expanded on the chaos:

“Early this morning, over a hundred rioters surrounded the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Broadview Processing Center— rioters assaulted law enforcement, threw tear gas cans, slashed tires of cars, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property. Police under JB Pritzker’s sanctuary jurisdiction refused to answer multiple calls for assistance. So far, federal law enforcement arrested three rioters.

Throughout the morning, vans have shown up to pick up and drop off rioters. This is an organized effort to obstruct ICE law enforcement.

Our ICE enforcement officers are facing a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them. Disturbingly, in recent days, two ICE officers’ have had cars used as weapons against them.”

That blunt assessment highlights just how dangerous the climate has become for federal officers. The refusal of local police, under orders tied to sanctuary policies, to respond to calls for assistance only adds to the problem. Taxpayers expect government to uphold the law, not allow political posturing to leave officers exposed to violence.

And this is not just a Chicago problem. Similar protests unfolded in New York City, where demonstrators blocked ICE vehicles and even elected officials joined in. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, along with multiple state senators and assembly members, was arrested after attempting to stage a sit-in inside a federal facility. ICE officers ultimately arrested 71 people during that protest. The spectacle of elected leaders deliberately obstructing federal agents is a striking symbol of how deep the resistance to enforcing immigration law has grown.

At its core, these incidents reveal the growing divide between those who believe in the rule of law and those who want to dismantle it in the name of political theater. ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz” is focused on targeting “the worst of the worst” criminal illegals—individuals who pose real risks to public safety. Yet rather than stand with officers removing dangerous criminals from communities, activists and even public officials are working to shut down enforcement entirely.

What happened in Chicago and New York is more than a local disturbance—it’s a warning sign. When street violence, vandalism, and organized obstruction are tolerated or even encouraged by political leaders, the burden falls on federal officers to protect the integrity of our laws alone. That is not only unsustainable but deeply unfair to both taxpayers and the men and women on the front lines.

This growing trend of elected officials joining mobs against ICE illustrates a disturbing departure from common-sense governance. At a time when Americans expect accountability, public safety, and secure borders, they are instead witnessing leaders willing to undermine law enforcement for short-term political gain. And every time law and order is sacrificed to political theater, it is ordinary citizens who pay the price.