Chicago police officers who moved to assist federal agents surrounded by protesters near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility were allegedly ordered to stand down, according to dispatch audio and internal messages reviewed by reporters. The Department of Homeland Security said the incident occurred Saturday on Chicago’s South Side, about 15 miles from anti-ICE demonstrations in Broadview, when federal agents on routine patrol were boxed in by about 10 vehicles. Officials said at least one vehicle rammed an ICE truck as the agents attempted to leave the area.
According to federal authorities, the confrontation escalated when a woman armed with a semi-automatic weapon allegedly tried to drive into agents after they exited their vehicle. She was shot by officers and taken into custody. Dispatch recordings capture a call for assistance describing a hit-and-run and suspects fleeing on foot. However, a male voice later instructed dispatchers to tell responding Chicago officers to “stay put,” followed by a directive attributed to the chief of patrol to clear the area and not respond.
An internal Chicago Police Department memo obtained by Fox News appeared to confirm the stand-down order. CPD disputed those claims, saying officers did respond to maintain public safety and traffic control. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned the attack, saying agents were “rammed and boxed in,” and pledged additional federal resources for Chicago.