- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rejects Gov. JB Pritzker’s request to pause ICE operations over Halloween, calling enforcement essential to public safety.
- Chicago raids, including tear gas use in Old Irving Park, prompted judicial warnings and local outrage as residents mobilize to protect Halloween traditions.
In a sharp rebuke amid mounting outrage over aggressive immigration enforcement in the Windy City, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday dismissed Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s urgent plea to pause ICE operations around Halloween, arguing that halting such actions would endanger communities rather than protect them.
The standoff highlights deepening divides between federal authorities and local leaders in sanctuary-state Illinois, where recent raids have sparked chaotic clashes, including the deployment of tear gas in a family-friendly neighborhood just days before All Hallows’ Eve.
Pritzker’s request came in the wake of a weekend incident that left residents reeling and prompted a federal judge to issue stern warnings about agent conduct during the holiday.
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Noem, speaking at a news conference in Gary, Indiana, framed the governor’s letter as a misguided attack on essential law enforcement.
“We’re absolutely not willing to put on pause any work that we will do to keep communities safe,” Noem said.
“The fact that Gov. Pritzker is asking for that is shameful and, I think, unfortunate that he doesn’t recognize how important the work is that we do to make sure we’re bringing criminals to justice and getting them off our streets, especially when we’re going to send all of our kiddos out on the streets and going to events and enjoying the holiday season.”
Pritzker Cites Child Safety, References Tear Gas Incident
Pritzker, a Democrat facing off against the Trump administration’s hardline border policies, invoked the vulnerability of children in his formal appeal to Noem.
The letter referenced a widely publicized confrontation on Saturday in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents unleashed tear gas as families gathered for a pre-Halloween parade.
“I am respectfully requesting you suspend enforcement operations from Friday, October 31 to Sunday, November 2 in and around homes, schools, hospitals, parks, houses of worship, and other community gatherings where Halloween celebrations are taking place. Illinois families deserve to spend Halloween weekend without fear,” Pritzker wrote.
“No child should be forced to inhale tear gas or other chemical agents while trick or treating in their own neighborhood.”
Agents Deploy Chemical Agents Without Warning
The Old Irving Park episode has become a flashpoint in a broader wave of immigration sweeps across the Chicago area, where federal agents have clashed with protesters, activists, and everyday residents.
Witnesses described a scene of pandemonium: Parents in pajamas, children prepping costumes, and a festive parade atmosphere shattered by loud bangs and acrid clouds of chemical irritants.
In a Monday court filing, neighborhood affidavits painted a vivid picture of the disruption.
One resident, Brian Kolp—an attorney and former state’s attorney—recalled sipping coffee at home when he spotted agents detaining an immigrant worker on a front lawn.
Rushing outside in his pajama pants, Kolp confronted the scene as neighbors voiced their anger but, he insisted, posed no physical threat.
At one point, Kolp said he spotted an agent gripping what appeared to be a chemical munition.
“Are you seriously about to throw that in the middle of the neighborhood?” he recalled asking.
He also questioned why the agent wasn’t equipped with a body camera.
Though that officer retreated, Kolp said agents later deployed the agent at the street’s far end without any prior warning.
“There was nothing to justify any of their use of force. At no point did they give a verbal or audible warning,” he told NBC News.
Federal Judge Issues Direct Halloween Warning to Border Patrol Commander
The incident drew swift judicial intervention.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis sharply criticized Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, reminding him of a standing court order prohibiting chemical agents in public spaces without imminent threats or advance warnings.
Ellis explicitly tied her admonishment to the Old Irving Park chaos, which she viewed as emblematic of the overreach she aimed to prevent in residential zones.
Government lawyers, defending the agents, argued that volatile crowds—sometimes described as threatening—necessitated flexibility in the field.
Noem echoed this sentiment Thursday, decrying a surge in hostility toward ICE personnel.
“What we’ve seen in attacks on ICE officers is unacceptable,” she said.
“I’ll remind you, every single ICE officer has someone who loves them.”
As the hearing wrapped, Ellis issued a holiday-specific plea, underscoring the stakes for Chicago’s families.
“The last thing that I will say is Halloween is on Friday. I do not, do not want to get violation reports from [attorneys] that show that agents are out and about on Halloween where kids are present and tear gas is being deployed or pepper balls are being deployed,” she told Bovino.
“I expect everybody to act reasonably. You know that it is a day when people are going to be out minding their own business.”
Neighborhood Tradition Under Threat as Residents Mobilize in Defiance
The controversy has rippled through Old Irving Park, a tight-knit enclave known for its sprawling lots, ancient oaks, and over-the-top Halloween displays that lure hordes of costumed visitors—up to 1,300 in peak years.
Longtime resident Anna Zolkowski, who’s hosted trick-or-treaters for more than three decades, said the raid left her too rattled to participate this year.
“I’m too shaken,” she explained, opting instead to donate her candy budget to an immigrant legal defense fund.
Zolkowski and her neighbors are mobilizing in defiance, planning whistle patrols to monitor for federal activity.
“We’re not going to let this ruin a traditional Chicago Halloween, where children and their families can feel safe and have fun,” she said.
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