Almost every time people protest the government, the government finds a way to break the law. This has happened under many administrations, but under Trump, it has become routine—especially when it comes to attacking protesters and journalists.
Trump’s aggressive crackdown on migrants sparked protests across the country, and with them, a wave of lawsuits exposing how federal agents have ignored the Constitution. The usual protections for free speech and peaceful assembly—the First Amendment—are dismissed outright. But it doesn’t stop there. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments have also been trampled underfoot.
In this administration’s eyes, any dissent is treated like an act of war. And documenting government actions is considered terrorism. Add to that the practice of federal agents hiding their identities, and you have a recipe for unchecked brutality. When officers know they won’t be held accountable, they become more violent, more often.
Chicago has become a prime example of this dangerous pattern. The city and state have turned into what feels like a war zone, with federal officers provoking protests through unprovoked violence—and then responding with even more force.
The story is always the same: first, federal agents pick a fight. Then, when people react—often peacefully—they respond with violence.
Take what happened earlier this month with Marimar Martinez, a Chicago resident. Border Patrol agents shot her multiple times after a tense encounter. But before firing, one officer can be heard on body camera saying, “Do something, b—-,” clearly taunting her.
The government claims Martinez drove toward the officers, justifying the shooting. But video evidence tells a different story. As her attorney Christopher Parente explained in court, the footage “appears to contradict” the government’s version of events. Security cameras also disprove claims that officers were chased by a convoy of hostile vehicles.
This unprovoked shooting sparked protests, but instead of de-escalating, federal agents responded with more aggression. One officer fired dozens of pepper balls at peaceful protesters from a rooftop—out of their reach but clearly meant to intimidate and harm.
The Rev. David Black, a Presbyterian minister, was among those protesting. He stood calmly before an ICE facility, arms outstretched, praying and calling on agents to repent. Instead of respect, he was met with chemical agents. A pepper ball hit him in the head, forcing him to his knees in pain.
“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.
He is now one of the plaintiffs suing federal officers over their violent tactics. Courts have issued restraining orders against these officers—rules forbidding them from beating or pepper-spraying peaceful protesters, journalists, or clergy, and limiting the use of riot control weapons to situations that truly require it.
But there’s little reason to believe this will change how ICE operates. These agents act as if they’re above the law, backed by an administration that openly flaunts legal limits. This is not an abstract problem. It’s officers taunting a woman before shooting her multiple times, and agents firing chemical weapons at peaceful prayer from rooftops.
Even more disturbing is the administration’s willingness to send Texas National Guard troops to Chicago, a city without the kind of violent unrest that would justify such a military presence. This is a deliberate strategy to intimidate and provoke confrontation, hoping to justify deadly force.
What we’re seeing is not law enforcement. It’s thuggery disguised as order, with federal agents picking fights they provoke, then responding with brutality. This cruelty should not be accepted or ignored. It must be called out and stopped.
Because when the government uses violence to silence dissent, it’s not just the protesters who suffer—it’s democracy itself.
For more on the story, read the court filing and watch the videos below:
