Father says feds sprayed his family, 1-year-old, with a chemical agent in Cicero

CICERO, Ill. - A family said federal immigration agents sprayed them, including their 1-year-old daughter, with a chemical irritant while they were driving to get groceries in Cicero on Saturday.

The incident happened around the same time that federal immigration agents were conducting operations nearby that led to tense clashes with protesters.

A member of the family and a local pastor who helped them spoke about their experience being sprayed at a news conference on Sunday.

‘Our daughter! Our daughter!’

What we know:

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) said the family was driving near 26th Street and Ogden Avenue by a Sam’s Club store in suburban Cicero. 

The nonprofit immigrant rights group posted videos of the incident on social media. A video timestamp said the incident happened around 11:18 a.m.

Rafael Veraza said he was going to get groceries with his family that morning and noticed a helicopter in the air and whistles being blown in the area. He said he realized that meant immigration agents were in the area and wanted to leave the Sam's Club parking lot.

Veraza said as the family was driving near the parking lot, a dark-colored pick-up truck driving in the opposite direction passed by them and someone in the truck sprayed them and other cars with a chemical irritant "for no reason."

"I was not a protester," Veraza said. "I didn't have nothing against them."

It wasn't immediately clear why the family was sprayed or if they were a target of federal immigration agents. 

Veraza said he felt the effects of the spray. His wife then shouted "Our daughter! Our daughter!" because their 1-year-old girl had been hit with the spray.

Veraza said the spray got into his eye and ear. He added that he experienced face numbness, an exceedingly high heart rate and couldn't relax for hours after the fact. He also said he has asthma.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions and a request for comment about the alleged incident.

A second video edited together shows the aftermath when the family was parked near the Sam’s Club and the baby could be heard crying. Veraza said he pulled over to flush out their eyes using water bottles he had in his car.

"Are you OK mama?" a man can be heard asking the child.

Another person can be heard saying, "This is what ICE does. This is what these terrorists do to babies."

Matt DeMateo, the CEO of New Life Centers of Chicagoland, said he happened to be passing by the Sam's Club when he saw the family pulled over. He got out to help them.

"All four were struggling to breathe, their faces burning from pepper spray," DeMateo said. "We helped them flush their eyes and I took them to the clinic for medical treatment."

De Mateo added the family was "not protesting, not chasing ICE vehicles, not fighting, not doing anything wrong, just shopping. In fact, they didn't even make it to shopping."

Veraza said the federal agent who sprayed him and his family sprayed other cars on the road as well. It was unclear why.

"I didn't even look at them," Veraza said. "I'm just minding my own business."

‘A day of terror’

Local perspective:

At the same press conference where Veraza spoke, local elected officials told of what they saw on Saturday in Little Village as angry residents reacted to Border Patrol agents conducted immigration operations.

Chicago Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd Ward) said he took his family to his son's chess tournament near 26th Street and Pulaski Road when he heard the commotion in reaction to the presence of Border Patrol agents. Rodriguez said he joined rapid responders in the neighborhood who were alerting locals to what was happening.

"Residents from throughout our area, from throughout Chicago yesterday were looking forward to a day of peace and tranquility," Rodriguez said. "They were looking forward to a day of shopping, a day of chess, a day of celebration, but that tranquility, that peace, was broken yesterday."

Rodriguez said agents "took a brother…right in front of our eyes," and described how a flash grenade was used about a foot away from him and near a 6-year-old child. He said there was no warning from agents.

"Yesterday was a day of terror. It follows an agenda of terror by this president," he said. "I think we stand here today sick, sick and tired of what’s happening here, not just in our country, and not just in our city, but in our neighborhood and on our streets."

While Rodriguez and others cited dropping crime rates in Chicago and in Little Village over the past year, he said "I've never felt less safe in my life than I have over the last couple of months in this reign of terror."

The National Lawyers Guild of Chicago, an association of attorneys, deployed legal observers to monitor the activities of law enforcement in the area on Saturday. The NLG said federal agents "used excessive force and chemical agents against community members."

On Saturday, DHS said Border Patrol agents were shot at near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue. No one was shot, and the shooter eluded authorities, DHS said. Chicago police officers responded to the scene and were engaged in crowd control.

Rodriguez said while he was in the area, he didn't hear any gunshots but was not sure when the alleged gunshot happened. He reiterated that people were peacefully gathered but were "vociferously protesting." He added that he did not see anyone throw anything at agents. DHS claimed that "agitators" threw a paint can and bricks at Border Patrol agents.

Several angry residents were seen shouting at federal agents and CPD officers over several blocks in Little Village, a predominately Mexican-American community.

At least nine people were taken into federal custody and four people were arrested by CPD on Saturday, according to the National Lawyer's Guild of Chicago. All but one of the individuals taken into federal custody was expected to be released, the NLG said.