The streets of Chicago have turned into a war zone. No street is safe from ICE agents, who are rapidly working their way into suburban towns. While protests line city corners, patrol cars sit in wait on unassuming residential blocks. In a video posted by @CantStopPoppin on Reddit, the rest of the country is learning just how much these raids are escalating. ICE agents are sparing no resident, including those who can’t defend themselves.
The video shows ICE agents swarming a residential street, apprehending random people as they go. While the crowd tries to disperse and place distance between themselves and agents, one officer opens a can of tear gas. In the video, you can hear shouting, followed by the person holding the camera backing up. As more people run from the tear gas, a couple carrying a baby in a car seat make their way out of the noxious plume.
Whether ICE agents were unaware of the child’s presence or didn’t care has yet to be determined. Either way, the recklessness of the act has gone viral, with many people fearful of what the future holds. If ICE agents don’t value an innocent life, it’s easy to believe that no one, and no action, is off-limits.
Several people blamed Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, citing his ignorance of the situation. “Mike Johnson: ‘I’ve not seen them cross the line yet’” one Reddit user commented, quoting the House Speaker. Another replied, “The same Mike Johnson who claimed – with a straight face – that Pelosi delayed swearing in a GOP rep after a special election by 24 days. The swearing in was delayed due to issues with the vote count and certification; Dems/Pelosi had nothing to do with it. He lies with such ease it’s sickening.”
Another referenced one of the biggest tragedies in history, quoting Anne Frank. “‘Terrible things are happening outside. At any time of night and day, poor, helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. They’re allowed to take only a knapsack and a little cash with them, and even then, they’re robbed of these possessions on the way. Families are torn apart; men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared. Women return from shopping to find their houses sealed, their families gone,'” they said. “Anne Frank, describing Nazis.”
As viewers continued sharing their opinions on a thread that was more than 7,000 comments long, one person echoed what everyone seemed to be thinking. “We are already at war, aren’t we?”
