A lady was shot and injured by US Border Patrol agents in Chicago, the latest of several shootings since President Donald Trump’s administration began an immigration enforcement effort earlier this year.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that a shooting occurred in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood on Saturday, Oct. 4, after “law enforcement officers were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.”
After becoming stopped and exiting their vehicle, agents began shooting “defensive shots” after discovering that a lady driving one of the automobiles “was armed with a semi-automatic weapon.”
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) informed PEOPLE in a statement that they also arrived to the area after getting a call about a shooting to “document the incident.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino stand together during a tense demonstration outside the ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, on September 27, 2025.
Although McLaughlin claimed that the woman, a US citizen, drove herself to the hospital for treatment, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt stated that she was discovered around 39th Street and South Kedzie Avenue and transferred to the hospital.
According to McLaughlin, no law enforcement officers were hurt in the attack, and agents were aware of the woman’s internet sharing of information about immigration police.
A spokesperson for the Southwest Side Rapid Response Team, a community-based organization that sends out social media notifications when immigration enforcement officials are sighted in the neighborhood, reportedly told WBEZ that federal immigration authorities caused a multi-vehicle automobile crash near the shooting.
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McLaughlin alleged that CPD was “refusing to assist DHS in securing the area.” The California Highway Patrol told PEOPLE: “CPD officers were also on-scene to maintain safety and traffic control for all living and working in the area.”
Police also stated that the federal agency was looking into the event.
According to WBEZ, a group of protestors gathered at the area following the gunshot, and Border Patrol personnel replied with pepper balls and tear gas.
A resident of the Chicago neighborhood named Matthew told WBEZ that he was inside his home when he heard about four rounds fired.
“It’s scary and wrong,” said Matthew, 34.
The Oct. 4 shooting is the latest in a series of events involving Border Patrol officers sent by the Trump administration in various parts of the country, including California, Illinois, and Texas.
Last month, 38-year-old Silverio Villegas González was shot and died in the Chicago suburb of Franklin Park after attempting to flee a traffic stop and colliding with an ICE agent, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He was brought to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
Last week, a shooter opened fire on an ICE field office in Dallas from a nearby rooftop, killing one inmate and badly wounded two others, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to investigators, the alleged shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and left behind ammo imprinted with the words “ANTI ICE” in blue writing. FBI Director Kash Patel shared a photo of the ammunition on his X account, claiming it suggested an ideological intent. No law enforcement officers were injured in the attack.
