Federal immigration agents punched a restrained man in Evanston, Illinois, following a traffic incident involving a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle, according to video footage.
The Department of Homeland Security said the agent’s actions were in response to the individual after he allegedly “aggressively grabbed the agent’s genitals.” DHS described the strikes delivered by the agent as defensive measures used to free himself from the assault.
Newsweek has contacted DHS for comment via email outside office hours.
Why It Matters
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents have faced growing scrutiny over allegations of excessive force and aggressive tactics during immigration enforcement operations. Federal agents have been involved in multiple shootings, vehicle accidents, and reports of intentional collisions, amid efforts by DHS to achieve the elevated arrest quotas set under the Trump administration. While the administration has said it is targeting “the worst of the worst,” reports have emerged that non-violent migrants, U.S. citizens, and visa holders have sometimes been caught up in these operations.
What To Know
The incident occurred around noon on Friday when a sedan collided with the rear of a Border Patrol vehicle, according to The Associated Press.
Three U.S. citizens were detained in the enforcement operation, according to CNN.
Videos show a crowd gathering at the scene, with some bystanders appearing to interfere with the arrests.
Footage depicts agents deploying pepper spray, punching a man who approached them, and pointing a firearm toward a woman who had opened the agents’ vehicle door, where a detainee had been placed. One agent is seen kneeling on a man’s back while striking him in the head.
The man can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.”
The video shows agents pushing back bystanders. The man is eventually placed into a vehicle, leaving a shoe behind.
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday that he is initiating two investigations into the incident, one examining the use of force by federal agents against individuals he described as bystanders and another focusing on the circumstances of the vehicle collision.
The Evanston Police Department is collecting video and other evidence to forward to the Illinois attorney general’s Civil Rights Division. Police Commander Ryan Glew told the AP that a supervisor is now dispatched to any reported immigration enforcement scene to document events. Several individuals at Friday’s incident received medical attention for exposure to pepper spray.
What People Are Saying
Mayor Daniel Biss said at a news conference: “Our message for ICE is simple: Get the hell out of Evanston.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on X: “The individual arrested in this video assaulted and kicked Border Patrol agents. As he was being arrested, here, he aggressively grabbed the agent’s genitals and wouldn’t let go. The agent delivered several defensive strikes to free his genitals from the perp’s grasp.”
Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky wrote in a social media post: “I’m disgusted and outraged by reports of ICE terrorizing students, families, and community members today in Evanston, Skokie, and across the 9th District. My team and I are monitoring the situation and coordinating with local partners to protect our neighbors. We won’t tolerate this inhumanity and will defend the dignity of every person in our community.”
