Tuesday morning residents in the Little Village community woke up to whistles and horns honking as Border Patrol officers, including Commander Gregory Bovino, returned to the city.
The noise was aimed at signaling an immigration enforcement operating near 26th and Ridgeway Avenue. Video shows residents throwing trash at unmarked federal vehicles, and using trash cans and rocks to block them from moving.
Videos taken by Little Village Community Council President Blatazar Enriquez shows agents arresting a man on the sidewalk.
“Around 9:15 we saw agent trucks with Bovino inside and right on 26th they arrested a gentleman who was on his bike. Four agents went after him and tackled him down,” he said. “We knew he was coming back, we were ready for him. I am proud of my neighborhood, members here came… and told him they’re not welcome here.”
Other video shared with NBC 5 from Casa DuPage, an activist group tracking immigration agents, shows Bovino outside of a gas station on Harlem and Jackson, playing rock paper scissors with another agent.
It was not clear what the ‘prize’ was in the game. In the video Bovino tells protestors, “Merry Christmas guys we love Chicago, ho, ho, ho.”
Bovino and many border patrol agents left Chicago in November to conduct immigration operations in other cities.
While DHS confirmed Bovino was back in Chicago, they would not comment for how long.
“We aren’t leaving Chicago and operations are ongoing,” DHS Assistance Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Operation Midway Blitz is achieving what Chicago’s sanctuary politicians have refused to do for decades: decrease crime and remove the worst of the worst…”
Congressman Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia issued a statement criticizing Bovino’s return.
“At a time when families should be celebrating the holidays in safety and peace, these agents are instead carrying out operations to separate families, sow panic, and intimidate hardworking people. Investigative reporting has made it clear that these ICE raids are targeting individuals with no criminal records,” he said.
It’s not clear how many arrests were made across Chicago on Tuesday, and if the individuals arrested had any criminal record.
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