Chicago Family Hit by Pepper Spray in Immigration Op

A father and his one-year-old daughter were exposed to pepper spray during a federal immigration enforcement operation in a suburban Chicago parking lot on Saturday, according to the family, in an incident that has heightened scrutiny of agents' tactics amid ongoing clashes in the area.

Rafael Veraza, a resident of Cicero, said he and his family were in their vehicle at a Sam's Club parking lot, preparing to go grocery shopping, when they heard a helicopter overhead and car horns blaring. In recent weeks, such sounds have become common alerts in the Chicago region signaling the presence of federal immigration agents. The family decided to leave the area. As they drove away, Veraza recounted, a masked agent approached their open window and fired pepper spray directly into the car. The substance struck Veraza in the face and affected his daughter, Arianna, who began struggling to breathe and open her eyes. Video footage recorded by the family shows the aftermath, with Veraza rubbing his eyes and Arianna crying in her mother's arms.

"We were not protesting or honking to warn anyone," Veraza told reporters on Sunday. "My daughter was trying to open her eyes. She was struggling to...