A video on X, originally posted to Instagram by @tucofuentes, showed a moment when an ICE agent, from a moving vehicle, fired at protesters, striking one in the abdomen.
According to the account, the vehicle was exiting the Broadview ICE Processing Center in Illinois and passing protesters when a pepper-ball launcher struck one in the abdomen during a weekly demonstration.
The protester who was shot received first aid at the scene before being taken to a hospital.
ICE shoots protester in stomach with "less than lethal" bullets—had to be rushed to hospital.
— LongTime?FirstTime?? (@LongTimeHistory) July 6, 2026
Agent leans out of moving car to shoot with one hand—while driving with other.
Injures protester in abdomen at point blank range.
Car was not blocked—attack was completely unprovoked.… pic.twitter.com/oBYRTMB22c
The X account @LongTimeHistory, which reposted the video, claimed that the agent was leaning out of the moving car to fire with one hand while driving with the other.
"Car was not blocked, attack was completely unprovoked. Video clearly shows every other ICE vehicle exiting the driveway unobstructed. Protesters were just holding signs on the public sidewalk," the user wrote.
The Broadview facility has been a recurring flashpoint for confrontations between federal agents and demonstrators since the Trump administration's "Operation Midway Blitz" ramped up immigration enforcement in the Chicago area last year.
Federal agents at the site have previously used pepper balls, tear gas, and rubber bullets against protesters, including a September 2025 incident in which an agent struck Presbyterian pastor David Black in the head with a pepper ball while he prayed outside the facility, according to NPR.
Reactions to the video on X ranged from criticism of the agent's actions to debate over the type of projectile ICE used. One commenter wrote, "You do realize those are paintball markers. People pay good money to get shot and shoot others with those. 'Protestor' should be grateful he got to play for free."
Why is ICE armed with paintball guns? Don't get me wrong, I think it's a definite improvement over giving them actual guns, but who approved the switch?
— Peter-Built Griffin™ (@SethMacFairlane) July 6, 2026
A different commenter raised a similar point: "Why is ICE armed with paintball guns? Don't get me wrong, I think it's a definite improvement over giving them actual guns, but who approved the switch?"
The incident has not been addressed by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security at the time of publication.
One commenter argued that federal agents were acting under presidential direction, writing, "Because DJT is a dictator who thinks opposing him is dissent. So he's told his ICE Gestapo to attack protesters because he's given them immunity."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify all circumstances surrounding the incident beyond what was shown in the video and described in the original Instagram caption. The details above reflect the account as shared on Instagram by @tucofuentes and reposted on X by @LongTimeHistory, and reports by NPR. The identities of the agent and the protester involved have not been confirmed.
