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An illegal immigrant with a criminal history has been arrested following a weekend shooting in which U.S. Border Patrol agents were shot at in Chicago.
The shooting happened Saturday in the city’s Little Village neighborhood as federal agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations.
The unidentified suspect, a Mexican citizen, was in a Jeep that drove up near the agents and fired shots before driving away, federal sources told Fox News. At the time of his arrest, he was found with a firearm, sources said.
“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction,” a Department of Homeland Security statement said. “Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement.
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The suspect has previously been convicted of crimes including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle, felony possession of a weapon, and illegal entry, DHS said.
“He is currently marked as a violator of the Laken Riley Act, pending charges related to assaulting officers,” the agency added.
The weapon allegedly used in the shooting has not been matched to shell casings found at the scene of the shooting. Following the shooting, a group of people threw a paint can and bricks at Border Patrol vehicles, according to the agency.
“This individual should have never been walking the streets of Chicago,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino told Fox News. “This individual should not have been in this country, so the fact that he has re-violated again, and still has a firearm is… very concerning to us in law enforcement.”
He said investigators were pursing additional leads in the case.
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Bovino also cited rhetoric by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for allegedly enabling reckless behavior directed at law enforcement. Both officials have come out against the Trump administration’s immigration operations and Operation Midway Blitz, the ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in the Chicago area.
Residents who oppose the operation have protested and clashed with law enforcement personnel.
“@GovPritzker is protecting violent criminal illegal aliens who want American law enforcement officers dead,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X. “This is a battle between law and order, good and evil—and we will prevail.”
In addition, Bovino said the Latin Kings gang has issued orders to target federal agents in Chicago.
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“These are men and woman who are simply waking up in the morning every single day to enforce the rule of law,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said on “America’s Newsroom” on Monday. “It really is a shame that the Democrat Party has decided that violence against law enforcement is OK.”
ICE agents are facing an 8,000% increase in death threats against them, DHS has said. The uptick comes amid anti-ICE protests across the country and Democratic rhetoric surrounding the agency’s mission.
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Last week, sources at DHS told Fox News Digital that the agency has deported more than 550,000 illegal migrants since President Donald Trump took office.
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