Federal agents are pepper spraying civilians.

Question

Rafael Veraza says that him and his 1 year old daughter were pepper sprayed in a Sam’s Club parking lot in Chicago. They viewed signals often used to warn that immigration agents are nearby and decided end their grocery shopping trip early. Veraza says that as they were trying to leave, a masked federal agent pointed pepper spray at them through their car window and sprayed him in the face, which affected his daughter as well. A video of this was caught by both the family, and a local pastor. The video allegedly shows Veraza struggling to open his eyes and his daughter crying as she is comforted by her mother.

However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security disputed the account. They claim that no pepper spray was used in the Sam’s Club parking lot and reject the family’s allegations. This issue is causing a rise in community frustration and has been a focal point of the ongoing crackdown in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood. This event is also inflicting more fear onto the public, as now simple everyday activities like shopping feel dangerous.

Answer 1

This is unfortunately true. There are confirmed reports of federal officers assaulting civilians using pepper spray in efforts for immigration reform. One of the most recent incidents happened in Little Village, Chicago, when a father and his one-year-old daughter were pepper-sprayed at close range in a grocery store parking lot. According to the NBC News Article (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-family-pepper-spray-allegations-ice-immigration-cicero-rcna242536), this father and his wife were not honking or protesting in any way, shape, or form. There have also been reports of civilians being pepper-sprayed and detained outside of the Eugene federal building (https://www.klcc.org/politics-government/2025-09-24/protesters-pepper-sprayed-detained-at-eugene-federal-building).

Answer 2

Yes, it has been reported that federal agents are pepper spraying civilians. In an article I found by ABC news, video is provided of the family with irritated eyes after the alleged incident. 

This is along with other recorded incidents of federal agents pepper spraying nonviolent protestors, as reported on by the OregonLive. In these videos you can see the protestors talking to the agents, but not putting their hands anywhere near them. 

This is considered excessive force, as Pepper Spray Injury Attorneys note this,

"While there are several circumstances under which police can justify the use of pepper spray, there are cases where its use is considered excessive force. This includes cases in which:

• The person is complying with instructions given by the police
• The person is not behaving violently or being dangerous
• There is no current threat to officers or other individuals in the area
• The person is already under police control or has surrendered to police"

Though the U.S. Dept. of Homeland security denies this, overwhelming evidence is popping up over the country of this excessive force.

https://abc7.com/post/1-year-old-baby-parents-allegedly-pepper-sprayed-federal-agents-during-immigration-raid-chicago/18140265/

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/10/federal-officer-blasts-chemical-spray-into-vocal-but-nonviolent-portland-protester-video-shows.html

https://peppersprayinjury.com/blog/when-can-police-use-pepper-spray/

Answer 3

With the recent uptick of unrest and arrests caused by ICE, it does seem that some of their federal agents have been pepper spraying civilians. This post is referring specifically to an incident in Cicero, Illinois, where a 1 year old girl was maced by ICE. A first-hand video on reddit shows the aftermath of this incident, with the family in distress. The family's account was also published in the Guardian. Another clip posted reddit shows ICE agents threatening members of the public with pepper spray. It does appear true that ICE is pepepr spraying and macing civilians, including children. 

Answer 4

This statement is true. The original source to this claim is an article published recently on November 10, 2025 by Sophia Tareen of the Associated Press. The article reports an event where a father and his 1-year-old daughter were pepper sprayed by immigration agents, while grocery shopping in Chicago. Author Sophia Tareen is a veteran journalist for the Associated Press, which is a globally recognized organization- known for their strict standards and factual reporting. The source includes information from firsthand photos and interviews with residents, the family, and the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, other reliable sources support this claim. These sources include articles by The Guardian and CBS News. The Guardian is a highly regarded news organization that has been consistently awarded for their investigative reporting and editorial structure. In an article by Miami-based, veteran reporter Richard Luscombe, The Guardian exclaims, “An Illinois man said his US citizen family – including his one-year-old daughter – were pepper-sprayed in their car by federal immigration agents during a shopping trip in a Chicago suburb.” Throughout the source, information from direct quotes and other incidents is included. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/11/ice-agents-pepper-spray-man-baby-daughter. As one can see, the information in the original claim can be asserted through numerous viable accounts. Furthermore, CBS News is historically trustworthy in regards to their factuality and award-winning professional journalism. An article titled, ‘We asked a former federal agent to review videos showing use of force against protesters. Here's what he found’ was produced by authors Nicole Sganga, Madeleine May, Layla Ferris, and Maddie Kornfeld. These individuals include CBS News’ homeland security and justice correspondent, investigative producer, and verification producer. The information in this source has been thoroughly fact-checked. In the article, CBS News asserts, “The protester can be seen verbally confronting two agents in the street. Another agent then walks up to the protester and sprays her directly in the face with a large can of pepper spray.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-federal-agent-ice-use-of-force-against-protesters/. This article includes quotes from interviews and on-scene videos. There have been multiple occurrences of federal agents using harmful tactics, including pepper spray, on civilians. Unfortunately, this claim is heavily supported and true.