A U.S. congressional candidate and current state representative said Customs and Border Patrol agents surrounded and harassed him in his vehicle Tuesday on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
State Rep. Hoan Huynh, a Democrat from Chicago who is running to represent the 9th District, was in his vehicle about 11:30 a.m. near Montrose and Kimball avenues in Albany Park, a news release from his campaign said.
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Huynh was in the area after hearing of possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, the release said.
Huynh says he got a tip that agents were detaining people on the streets and wanted to warn residents of their rights.
The release said six armed CBP agents blocked the front and back of his vehicle, and approached the car.
Huynh’s campaign said the agents blocked him and staffers from following an unmarked car with ICE agents inside.
Huynh was eventually able to leave.
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Huynh shared cellphone video of the incident.
“This was federal agents using violent intimidation trying to silence us,” Rep. Huynh said.
Huynh is a Vietnamese refugee who came to America as a child when his family was granted asylum after collaborating with American troops during the Vietnam War, the release said.
Neither ICE nor CBP have responded to requests for comment.
Farther north, a Rogers Park school says a vendor employee was detained Tuesday afternoon by federal agents.
The action drew parents to stand outside Decatur Classical School on Sacramento Avenue.
The school sent a letter to parents, saying this happened outside the school, and no students were present at the time.
Afternoon PE classes were moved inside as a result.
In the letter, the school says mental health professionals are available for students, and that “As a reminder, our school and CPS WILL NOT coordinate with federal representatives, and we WILL NOT allow ICE agents or any other federal representatives access to our school unless they produce a criminal judicial warrant.”
