Armed federal agents reported in Chicago neighborhood as crowd gathers

Video captured the moment a heavy federal presence was seen at a Chicago intersection, with armed agents, many masked or wearing gas masks, met by a large crowd in the city’s East Side neighborhood.

The footage, taken by NBC Chicago photographers and the station’s Sky 5 helicopter just after 12 p.m. Tuesday, showed the situation near 105th Street and Avenue N.

It was not immediately clear why federal agents were in the area or what sparked the situation, but a car crash was seen taking place moments before.

The footage showed what appeared to be smoke of some kind rising from an intersection near the scene, though it was not clear who deployed it.

Crowds gathered on doorsteps, sidewalks and in the streets.

The heavy federal presence appeared to lessen by 1 p.m.

The Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s requests for comment.

State Sen. Robert Peters said he had staffers at the scene, with video showing the crowd chanting “ICE go home.”

“All eyes on the East Side right now! ICE cannot just come into our communities and wreak havoc like this,” he wrote on social media. “My staff are on the ground and we will update residents as the situation evolves.”

It was not immediately known which agencies were present at the scene, though many had uniforms with Border Patrol patches on them.

Nearby, the Sadlowski Elementary School moved all outdoor activities inside during the situation.

In a letter to parents, Principal Rafael Jimenez said the school was “made aware of reports of activity involving federal law enforcement representatives near our school building.”

“This activity did not take place on school grounds, and it was not related to our school. All members of our school community are safe,” he wrote. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have transitioned outdoor activities such as recess to be inside the building. We will also have additional members of our staff available during dismissal. At this time, after-school programming will proceed as scheduled.”

Check back for more on this developing story.

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