ICE Tear Gas Disrupts Chicago Halloween Parade in Old Irving Park

(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) Federal immigration agents used tear gas in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood on the morning of October 25, 2025, disrupting a children’s Halloween parade and triggering immediate anger from residents. The incident, which local families say unfolded just before 10 a.m., is tied to an intensified immigration enforcement push ordered by President Trump that has expanded across Chicago and its suburbs since September.

Video verified by multiple news outlets shows agents arresting several people as tear gas drifted through the residential streets, forcing parents and children to relocate the parade to a nearby school.

What happened during the operation

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the operation aimed to arrest a “criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who has previously been arrested for assault.” DHS officials said agents deployed tear gas after being “surrounded by a group of agitators,” asserting they issued several warnings that were ignored.

• Two U.S. citizens were also arrested on allegations they assaulted and impeded federal officers.
• Residents who witnessed the arrests say the use of force in a family setting was excessive and frightening, especially for children preparing to march in costume.

Parents and neighbors described a chaotic scene: strollers and decorations were abandoned as people scrambled away from the gas, with some coughing and crying. Community members reported finding empty tear gas canisters on their lawns later in the day.

One widely shared video shows a federal agent dragging an elderly woman walking her dog before a bystander stepped in. Shouts of “leave” echoed down the block as residents confronted agents and questioned the need for tear gas during a neighborhood parade.

Enforcement campaign widens under federal orders

The Old Irving Park episode comes amid a broader federal crackdown in Chicago that began in September 2025. The Trump administration framed the campaign as a focused effort to target “hardened criminals” among undocumented immigrants. Yet reports from around the city suggest many people without criminal records have been swept up in the raids, adding to public frustration and street protests.

Operations have featured large numbers of federal agents, many in military-style gear, appearing in residential areas and commercial corridors across Chicago. VisaVerge.com reports that the stepped-up actions in Chicago are part of a surge approach that layers multiple agencies and tactics in quick succession.

• Opponents say the ICE presence has strained daily life in mixed-status neighborhoods, where routine tasks (taking kids to school, walking the dog, waiting for a delivery) could collide with an operation.
• Supporters point to DHS statements emphasizing arrests of people with prior offenses.
• Critics counter with on-the-ground accounts of collateral arrests and aggressive tactics.

Saturday’s use of tear gas struck a raw nerve because of its timing and location. Parents had dressed their kids for a neighborhood Halloween parade—a tradition meant to be light and friendly. Instead, videos and eyewitness accounts show masked agents moving in, a landscape worker and a delivery worker taken into custody, and families backing away as gas hung low over the street.

Children were led to safety at a nearby school, according to residents who helped with the relocation.

Legal and community fallout

The fallout has extended beyond city blocks into courtrooms and public debate:

• The federal government moved to bring in 500 National Guard troops from Illinois and Texas to support immigration enforcement in Chicago, deepening concerns about the use of military force in civilian areas.
• Some Guard members publicly refused to take part, citing ethical objections.
• A federal judge then delayed the deployment of the National Guard in Chicago pending further legal review, pausing the additional show of force while challenges proceed.

Community leaders and neighborhood groups organized protests and legal assistance clinics in response to the raids. They argue that tear gas should never be used near families and that the scale of federal activity in Chicago is out of proportion to the stated goals. Residents point to the October 25 confrontation as proof that current tactics place bystanders at risk.

DHS maintains agents followed procedures, gave warnings, and responded to a crowd that, in its view, became hostile.

Key developments to date

1. Use of tear gas on October 25, 2025, in Old Irving Park during an immigration operation that disrupted a children’s Halloween parade.
2. A citywide enforcement surge since September 2025, ordered by President Trump, with hundreds of federal agents active in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
3. Ongoing protests and legal action, including a court-ordered delay on the attempt to deploy 500 National Guard troops to support immigration enforcement.

Communication gap and community concerns

The October 25 operation has sharpened debate over how federal agencies communicate with local communities. Residents say they received no advance notice of potential activity in an area where families had planned a public event. Federal officials say operational security rules out advance announcements, especially when targeting individuals they describe as dangerous.

That divide—between local expectations for safety and federal imperatives to conduct arrests—remains a source of tension in Chicago.

In homes and classrooms across the city, families are now discussing what to do if they encounter agents mid-errand or during community events. Parents who were at the parade say their children asked why they saw people in uniforms throw canisters that made their eyes water.

The account of an elderly woman being dragged, captured on video, has become a rallying reference point in neighborhood meetings. Residents are asking whether federal training anticipates interactions with seniors and kids in crowded civilian settings.

Questions raised and official resources

While DHS highlighted the arrest target’s prior assault arrest, critics argue the use of tear gas in a residential area suggests a broader posture than a single apprehension. They also note the arrests of a landscape worker and a delivery worker shown in videos, which they say undercut claims that only “hardened criminals” are being pursued.

Those concerns feed into a larger question about how enforcement priorities are set and reviewed as the crackdown enters its second month.

For official agency explanations of operational policy, see the DHS component responsible for immigration enforcement at: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Chicago episode is likely to figure into future briefings and legal filings as both supporters and opponents cite it to argue for or against current tactics.

Community response and next steps

Regardless of where public opinion lands, the October 25 events in Chicago show how quickly a federal operation can ripple through everyday life:

• A neighborhood parade turned into a contested law enforcement scene within minutes.
• Parents evacuated to a school; neighbors argued with agents; videos spread online.
• By evening, the city had another flashpoint in an ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement, the role of ICE, and the limits of force in civilian spaces.

As legal challenges move forward and protests continue, families in Old Irving Park say they will keep their parade tradition alive, but with extra caution. The memory of tear gas on a Saturday morning now sits alongside the costumes and candy—an image of how a federal crackdown, ordered at the national level, reached directly into a Chicago block and left residents demanding answers.

Important note: The October 25 confrontation continues to be a focal point for legal, civic, and community discussions about enforcement tactics, public safety, and agency transparency.