A crowd of anti-ICE demonstrators in Elgin, Illinois allegedly attacked federal immigration officers with snowballs and rocks while trying to help a violent Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang member evade arrest, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The suspect, 26-year-old Venezuelan national Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, reportedly resisted arrest by ramming an ICE officer’s vehicle into a tree. He then fled on foot and forced his way into a nearby apartment, barricading himself inside a residence that did not belong to him.
According to reporting by the New York Post, Gutierrez later appeared on the apartment balcony and spoke with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who were attempting to negotiate his surrender. During the standoff, a large group of anti-ICE protesters gathered outside and began throwing snowballs, rocks, and other objects at the agents. DHS stated that local law enforcement declined to assist in protecting federal officers during the incident.
After several hours of negotiations, Gutierrez was taken into custody without further injury.
In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the suspect was a known TdA gang member who entered the United States in April 2023 and was granted Temporary Protected Status under the Biden administration.
“This suspected TdA gang member was not only released into our country by the Biden administration but also granted Temporary Protected Status,” McLaughlin said. “This once again underscores the lack of vetting of the millions of aliens allowed into the country.”
McLaughlin added that under President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Gutierrez’s Temporary Protected Status was terminated, he was arrested, and removed from the streets. She also noted a sharp rise in violence against immigration officers, saying assaults on ICE agents have increased by more than 1,150 percent as they work to apprehend dangerous criminal illegal aliens.
“This violence against law enforcement must end,” she said.
DHS confirmed that Gutierrez’s Temporary Protected Status was officially revoked in November. He is now in removal proceedings.