An armed rioter was arrested Friday as protesters in Broadview, Illinois, attempted to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering and leaving a detention center.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that authorities arrested 17 people during the incident, with more arrests expected.
Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators surrounding the front of an ICE vehicle, shouting at agents and calling them “fascist pigs,” according to the Daily Wire. Federal agents in tactical gear deployed pepper balls to disperse the crowd after rioters attempted to hurl tear gas at them.
“They’re obstructing law enforcement vehicles from being able to enter that facility,” McLaughlin said, describing the situation as “very alarming.”
The confrontation came weeks after the Trump administration launched “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago, which has led to hundreds of arrests of criminal illegal immigrants, including gang members, murderers, and child sex offenders.
Last week, rioters at the same ICE facility in Broadview attacked officers, throwing tear gas and slashing vehicle tires. Fences have since been established to secure the building.
The altercation comes as assaults against ICE personnel have surged by more than 1,000 percent. Earlier this week, an anti-ICE sniper opened fire on a facility in Dallas, killing an illegal immigrant detainee and injuring two others before taking his own life.
