A father from suburban Chicago alleges that he and his 1-year-old daughter were pepper-sprayed by federal agents in a Sam’s Club parking lot in Cicero. The incident reportedly took place shortly after intense immigration operations in the area.
Rafael Veraza says he cut short his shopping after seeing a police presence and a federal convoy. He alleges an agent sprayed an irritant from the front of his vehicle, affecting his family inside.
“He started spraying from the front of the car toward the back. I got it all over my face,” Mr. Veraza told ABC7 Chicago. An asthma sufferer, he says he immediately felt respiratory distress. His daughter Arianna, in the back seat, “was trying to open her eyes” and “had trouble breathing.” Both were briefly hospitalized.
Witness Pastor Matt DeMateo of New Life Community Church describes agents emerging with guns drawn and says he did not hear a warning. He recalls seeing an agent holding a tear gas grenade before reentering a van.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputes this account. On Sunday, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “No. There was no crowd control or pepper spray deployed in a Sam’s Club parking lot.”
A Context of Turbulent Operations
DHS says agents were targeted multiple times on this “chaotic day” in Chicago. According to the agency, shots were fired at agents in Little Village from a black Jeep Wrangler. Agents also faced thrown projectiles and several attempts to ram the convoy. These events resulted in nine arrests, including eight U.S. citizens, according to ABC7 Chicago.
In statements to local press, Ms. McLaughlin referred to counter-protesters as “rioters” and justified the use of “crowd control measures” elsewhere in the city. She maintained that no pepper spray was used at Sam’s Club. She also criticized “sanctuary policies” and accused the media of fueling hostility toward federal forces.
While condemning violence against federal forces, the City of Chicago also denounced how operations were conducted. On Sunday, Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “The recent escalation of violent and indiscriminate federal immigration enforcement threatens the safety of all Chicagoans,” according to local press.
Mr. Johnson criticized the use of “chemical gases” in neighborhoods and demanded a full municipal police report to check compliance with the “Welcoming City” ordinance. He reaffirmed opposition to aggression against police and federal agents but said he was “deeply concerned” about the reports of shots at a federal agent, according to WTTW.
A Court Injunction Limiting Use of Force
The alleged Cicero incident comes during tense times for federal forces. On Thursday, November 6, federal Judge Sara Ellis (Northern District of Illinois) granted a preliminary injunction. This order limits the use of tear gas and riot weapons by immigration agents at demonstrations.
In her decision, reported by Reuters, Judge Ellis found the government’s testimony about gatherings to be misleading. She cited a senior Border Patrol official who admitted lying under oath about an alleged assault before gas was used.
The order mandates the use of body cameras, requires agents to wear clear identification, and prohibits the dispersal of journalists, peaceful protesters, and clergy. The Department of Justice will appeal, arguing the rules endanger agents.
Just days after Judge Ellis’s order, “Operation Midway Blitz” continued in Chicago. This weekend saw more confrontations in Little Village, as well as convoy movements across the city and its suburbs.
In a family video viewed by the media, the father’s pain and the child’s crying are audible after the alleged spraying. Mr. Veraza tells ABC7 Chicago he was simply trying to leave the lot and was not involved in demonstrations.
Key questions remain: Is there body camera footage, and will it be released? Why, by Veraza’s account, were he and his daughter sprayed while leaving? An independent investigation, including recordings and medical reports, is necessary to establish responsibility.
Based on reports from ABC7 Chicago, with information from Reuters and WTTW
