ICE Agents Spark Halloween Chaos in Chicago Suburbs

Halloween Immigration Crackdown Ignites Outrage
Evanston Incident: Tear Gas, Tackles, and Terrified Kids
Governor Pritzker’s Plea Ignored
Legal Fallout and Federal Pushback
Community Organizes, Schools Lock Down
Sources

ICE Agents Spark Halloween Chaos in Chicago Suburbs

On a day meant for costumes and candy, federal immigration agents turned Chicago-area neighborhoods into scenes of chaos and confrontation. Despite Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s public request to pause enforcement actions over Halloween weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol units launched aggressive operations across the city and North Shore suburbs—including Evanston and Albany Park—on Friday, October 31, 2025.

Witnesses described agents chasing suspects through front yards, driving SUVs onto sidewalks, and deploying chemical agents like tear gas amid residential streets teeming with families preparing for trick-or-treating.

Evanston Incident: Tear Gas, Tackles, and Terrified Kids

In Evanston, tensions exploded when Border Patrol agents stopped abruptly on a major thoroughfare, causing a trailing vehicle to rear-end their SUV. According to Evanston police and multiple eyewitnesses, agents immediately tackled the driver—a woman who claimed to be a U.S. citizen—and dragged her from the car.

“All her shoes fell off,” recalled Allie Harned, a social worker at nearby Chute Middle School, who rushed to the scene after hearing the crash. “They were tearing her out of the car like she was a criminal.”

As bystanders gathered, shouting and blowing whistles—a prearranged signal from neighborhood watch groups—an agent allegedly drew a weapon and pointed it at the crowd. Videos circulating online captured the moment, though the exact type of weapon remains unclear.

The incident occurred just blocks from both an elementary and middle school. In response, local schools initiated lockdown protocols, canceling recess and keeping students indoors hours before Halloween festivities were set to begin.

Governor Pritzker’s Plea Ignored

Earlier in the week, Governor Pritzker had sent a formal letter to federal authorities urging a temporary halt to immigration enforcement over Halloween. “Illinois families deserve to spend Halloween weekend without fear,” he wrote. “No child should be forced to inhale tear gas or other chemical agents while trick-or-treating in their own neighborhood.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dismissed the request, stating operations would continue as planned. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to comment on Friday’s specific incidents in Evanston and Albany Park.

Legal Fallout and Federal Pushback

This latest escalation comes amid mounting legal scrutiny of ICE’s tactics in Chicago. Just days before Halloween, a federal judge had ordered Gregory Bovino—a senior Border Patrol official leading the crackdown—to appear nightly in court to report on daily enforcement actions and compliance with judicial restrictions on use of force.

However, the federal government appealed the order, and on Friday, an appellate court blocked the requirement, effectively shielding Bovino from daily judicial oversight.

Community Organizes, Schools Lock Down

In anticipation of federal raids, Chicago neighborhoods had organized informal watch networks. Volunteers stationed on street corners carried whistles and walkie-talkies, ready to alert neighbors at the first sign of ICE presence.

At a press conference held outside Chute Middle School later that day, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss condemned the federal actions in stark terms: “Just today, ICE agents have assaulted Evanston residents, beaten people up, grabbed them, abducted them, taken people off the street. It is an outrage.”

Children watched from classroom windows as local leaders demanded accountability and called for an immediate end to aggressive enforcement in residential zones during community events.