CHICAGO (PulseWire.News) — Just before noon on a sunny Friday earlier this month, federal immigration agents threw tear gas canisters onto a busy Chicago street, just outside of an elementary school and a children’s play cafe.
Parents, teachers, and caretakers rushed to shield children from the chaos and have struggled ever since with how to explain to them what they witnessed: how much to tell them so they know enough to stay safe, but not too much to rob them of their innocence.
Weeks later, families — even those unlikely to be rounded up in immigration raids — express that they remain terrified about future occurrences, demonstrating how fear infiltrates every aspect of life in American cities during the era of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
Why did the agents tear gas a residential neighborhood?
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Border Patrol agents were “impeded by protesters” during a targeted enforcement operation that resulted in one arrest.
This specific crackdown, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” began in early September, with masked, armed agents patrolling neighborhoods in unmarked vehicles. Community residents have voiced their dissent against what they perceive as a hostile takeover.
Witnesses say there was no warning
Fifth-grade teacher Liza Oliva-Perez was surprised by the sudden commotion as she walked to the grocery store. Without warning, she saw a masked man inside an unmarked SUV toss gas canisters into the street.
“I couldn’t fathom that was happening,” she recalled, later rushing towards the school to alert others inside.
Toddlers Were Having Lunch at a Play Café
Little ones at a nearby café were learning Spanish as their caregivers rushed them to safety. Anxiety filled the air, and even though their caregivers had legal status in the U.S., they were terrified of the fallout.
The Neighborhood Rallies to Protect its Children
After the incident, parents banded together, standing outside the school during pick-up hours to deter any further enforcement actions.
“You don’t mess with the kids. You don’t go near the schools,” said one concerned teacher, highlighting the community's protective instincts. As children left the school, many were visibly shaken, a representation of the lasting impact of such an unsettling event.
The damage has already been done, but the neighborhood is united in its resolve to safeguard its children.
