Grassroots Joe (@joeinwynnewood.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy)

BROADVIEW — Police in west suburban Broadview are investigating the assault of a local journalist by federal immigration authorities. CBS Chicago Reporter Asal Rezaei said she was at the ICE processing facility in suburban Broadview Sunday morning to report on the scene and was preparing to leave since there were no protesters. That’s when a masked ICE agent inside the fencing shot a pepper ball from about 50 feet away, hitting Rezai’s truck, which had its driver’s side window down, “causing the chemical agents to engulf the inside,” CBS Chicago reported. “An ICE agent took a direct shot at my car today. Absolutely unprovoked,” Rezaei said on social media. “My window was open and chemicals went all over my face. Been puking for two hours.” Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said in a statement the village has launched a criminal investigation into the “allegedly unprovoked attack” from a “chemical munition fired from the direction of the U.S. [ICE] detention facility.” ## Listen 🎧 What To Know About ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz In Chicago Rezai declined medical attention, Mills said. “The Broadview Police Department expects the full cooperation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security into our criminal investigation,” Mills said. The assault came just hours after federal agents released reporter Steve Held, who was arrested Saturday night while documenting protests at the facility. > This is from ⁦@cbschicago⁩ reporter ⁦@asalrezaeitv⁩ this morning who was simply doing her job. It comes one day after journalist Steve Held was detained and then released. pic.twitter.com/I6dYyCotNh > > — Paris Schutz (@paschutz) September 28, 2025 A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson denied a pepper ball was fires at the CBS reporter, despite evidence to the contrary. “No member of the media at CBS or any other outlet was ‘attacked,'” the spokesperson said. “For their safety, we remind members of the media and journalists to exercise caution as they cover these violent riots. We have seen rioters throwing rocks, armed with guns, slashing tires, throwing tear gas cans and other violent acts. Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been clear: rioters will not stop or slow us down from removing the worst of the worst.” Videos show Held had been wearing a helmet identifying himself as press at the time of his arrest. On several occasions, Block Club reporters and photographers who were documenting the scene and did not interfere with agents in any way have also been hit with pepper balls and subjected to tear gas and flash grenades, alongside other peaceful protesters. A tear gas canister was also thrown at a television news crew Friday. In a statement, the Chicago Headline Club condemned attacks by ICE agents on journalists. “The Headline Club is aware of incidents of journalists being shot intentionally with bean bags, chemical munitions and at least one working journalist being taken into custody,” the organization’s board of directors wrote in a statement. “Journalists have a constitutionally-protected right to cover stories as afforded by the First Amendment. No federal or state agency should interfere with that right either by threats or action taken against working journalists.” ICE has been uncooperative with previous orders from Broadview officials to remove perimeter fencing blocking a village street. The fencing had been put up after protests first turned violent, with agents firing pepper balls and spraying tear gas at the crowd. * * * **Support Local News!** **Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, **an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. Already subscribe? **Click here to gift a subscription** , or you can**support Block Club with atax-deductible donation.** **Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:** Listen OnApple PodcastsListen OnGoogle PodcastsListen OnSpotify Private Fences Put Up Around A Public Park — And Neighbors Aren’t Happy Episode play icon Private Fences Put Up Around A Public Park — And Neighbors Aren’t Happy Episode play icon “In Order To Win, You Have To Lose A Lot” — Meet The Man Building A Racket Sport Empire Episode play icon Meet The Voice Of The CTA — 27 Years And Counting Episode play icon CPS Fights Trump’s Anti-DEI Efforts — For Now Episode play icon Why NIMBYs Often Win Neighborhood Battles Load More Search Results placeholder Previous Episode Show Episodes List Next Episode Show Podcast Information https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/29/ice-fires-chemical-weapon-at-reporter-in-chicago-unprovoked-attack-under-investigation/?vgo_ee=agr2j%2BpkY7vObjUu9SGItDegcD%2FJgnyp8XbOvpbzz7s%3D%3AJZDrJRe37ksKGua8ZExA084Rea3npWFt