A 67-year-old United States citizen was hospitalized with six broken ribs and internal bleeding following an aggressive role-out of a federal immigration enforcement operation in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. The incident occurred while the man was driving home from a run and encountered street blockages set up by agents during a children’s Halloween parade.
According to eyewitnesses and his running club, federal agents threatened to smash his car’s window, forcibly removed him from the vehicle, and pinned him to the ground. Bystanders—some filming the encounter—can be heard shouting for the officers to stop while the man pleaded, “I’ll move my car, just get off of me.” The neighborhood event was reportedly interrupted as tear gas and crowd-control tactics were deployed by federal agents conducting the operation.
The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed the enforcement action was part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” targeting an individual with a prior assault arrest. Officials said the agents were boxed in by a hostile crowd and issued multiple commands before using force and crowd control measures. Two U.S. citizens were arrested for assaulting federal officers during the same operation.
The event has sparked broad community unease over federal tactics deployed near residential areas and children’s events, raising questions about the use of force, oversight and the rights of citizens caught in such operations.