WATCH: Dem Mayor Accused Of Blocking ICE Vehicle

Footage from a recent disturbance outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Chicago, Illinois appears to show Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, a Democrat, assisting rioters as they attempted to block an ICE vehicle from leaving the area.

Biss, who is currently running to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional district, joined several dozen protesters outside the facility on Friday morning. The situation turned violent early, as protesters were seen slashing the tires of an ICE vehicle as it tried to enter the Broadview facility, footage obtained by NewsNation shows.

Later in the afternoon, more protesters blocked the driveway to the facility, including Biss’s opponent in the 9th district Democratic primary, Kat Abughazaleh. The progressive candidate was ultimately thrown to the ground by agents as others deployed less-than-lethal crowd control measures in order to give the vehicles a lane.

Footage obtained by on-the-ground reporter Ford Fischer appears to show Mayor Biss assisting a group of agitators as they attempted to block an ICE vehicle.  “I believe this is Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss (D) taking part in blocking the driveway for the ICE facility in Broadview, IL,” Rosas posted on X alongside a photo of Evanston.

Rosas further noted that he was “there last week doing the same thing.”

I believe this is Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss (D) taking part in blocking the driveway for the ICE facility in Broadview, IL. He was there last week doing the same thing. https://t.co/QgvXYtgnjG pic.twitter.com/Dc8jdqEaqZ

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 19, 2025

Biss brushed off calls for his arrest in a social media post of his own after the video was widely circulated online. “Right wing crazies want me arrested because they know I won’t back down. Too bad,” he posted on X.

While speaking with Axios, Biss portrayed himself as a victim and criticized ICE for deploying tear gas in order to keep the angry mob away from the facility.”I just couldn’t breathe at all,” he said. “I found myself on the ground, desperately trying to get air.”

A third Democratic candidate from the 9th district race, Bushra Amiwala, said she was also tear-gassed. Candidates for the open, safe Democrat seat have been attending protests outside the Broadview facility as part of their campaigns for the last several weeks.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected the framing from the candidates by pointing to the violent conduct of the mob. “These desperate politicians want their 15 minutes of fame and they’re willing to do it off the backs of our law enforcement,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News.

“The violent targeting of law enforcement in Illinois by lawless rioters is despicable and Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson must call for it to end,” McLaughlin later said in a press release. “The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect the people of Illinois and all Americans.”