Shocking footage showing Border Patrol agents pinning a 76-year-old U.S. citizen to the ground in Chicago has sparked outrage after being shared on social media this week.
The DWRunning Club posted the video, identifying the man as one of their members, though they did not share his name.
In an Instagram Story, the club described what allegedly happened during the arrest, which reportedly occurred as a children’s Halloween parade was underway in the city’s Old Irving Park neighborhood.
“One of our athletes was on his way home from a team long run yesterday and as he turned onto his block, found that Border Control had the road blocked,” DWRunning Club wrote. “The agents threatened to break his window if he didn’t move his car. Before he could act, they pulled him out of his car, knelt on his back, and subdued him, though he never resisted. They broke six of his ribs and caused internal bleeding.”
“This really is happening in our country with frightening frequency. It’s terrifying and it has to stop. We must keep sharing these stories, calling out these injustices and standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves,” the post continued.
In the video, onlookers can be heard pleading with officers to ease up on the man.
“You’re f—ing suffocating him!” one bystander shouts, while another adds, “He’s 76 years old. Be easy on him.”
The man appears to tell the agents that he will move his car, but another Border Patrol officer is seen getting behind the wheel instead.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement on the incident, saying, “On October 25, 2025, Border Patrol conducted an operation that resulted in the arrest of a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who has previously been arrested for assault.”
She claimed that agents “were surrounded and boxed in by a group of agitators,” adding that law enforcement “issued multiple lawful commands and verbal warnings, all of which were ignored.” McLaughlin said two U.S. citizens were arrested for allegedly “assaulting and impeding a federal officer.”
“To safely clear the area after multiple warnings and the crowd continuing to advance on them, Border Patrol had to deploy crowd control measures,” she wrote, asserting that federal agents are “facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them.”
“Secretary Noem’s message to the rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down,” McLaughlin added. “ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The October 25 operation was among several violent encounters in Chicago following President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy federal troops to the city.
Earlier in the month, on October 4, a woman was shot and injured by Border Patrol agents after a traffic confrontation. McLaughlin said at the time that agents fired “defensive shots” after their vehicle was boxed in.
On October 10, ICE agents were also filmed aggressively detaining a local news producer, a U.S. citizen, pinning her to the ground as she tried to identify herself. When an unmarked van carrying her drove off, it reportedly collided with a bystander’s car.
DHS later claimed the producer, identified as Debbie Brockman, threw objects at a Border Patrol vehicle and was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.
An eyewitness, Josh Thomas, disputed that account, telling WGN-TV, “They claimed that the WGN employee was obstructing justice, even though she was, like all of us, just standing there, taking video.”
