Illinois state Rep. Hoan Huynh says Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers pointed a gun at him during an altercation near Albany Park in Chicago on Tuesday—a claim the Department of Homeland Security disputes, but one that has already sparked outrage among advocates and local leaders.
Huynh, a Vietnamese refugee and candidate to represent Illinois’ 9th District in Congress, says he was driving with a colleague, “informing locals of their rights” as ICE raids unfolded. That’s when the encounter turned terrifying.
“So at one point we were sandwiched in between two ice cars, one in front of us and one behind us where an ICE agent went to the passenger side of the car which I was in, and he pointed a gun directly at my face without any warning whatsoever and then told us to identify ourselves, which I then said, I’m an elected official,” Huynh recounted to CNN’s Brianna Keilar.
The incident occurred near Montrose and Kimball avenues at 11:30 a.m., where Huynh says he and his team were “making sure that we talked to our local small businesses about their rights as civilians.” He explained their mission in stark terms: “We wanted to let them know that they have the right… to an attorney when they’re interacting with ICE agents, and that’s what we’ve been doing as part of the response, network with the Illinois Coalition for the Refugee Rights.”
Chilling video footage from the encounter shows ICE agents in camo and masks surrounding Huynh’s car as he yells, “I’m state rep Hoan Huynh,” repeatedly. But Huynh says the footage captures only part of the ordeal. “And so they had a gun pointed at my face right before the recording starts. So when my colleagues started recording, they then realized that there was a camera to them. And again, these are ICE agents who are wearing masks, you know, their badges aren’t very clear. And so they then withdrew. They got away from the car, and then they went away.”
Huynh is adamant that his actions were fully within his rights. “We are within our rights to do what we have to do to inform our neighbors of their rights. And at that point in time, they wanted to bash in these windows. This is before the recording starts,” he said.
DHS, however, disputes the account. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released a statement saying: “Representative Wynn was stopped not once but twice for stalking law enforcement and attempting to interfere with operations. He was given a warning the first time he stopped. That morning forcing agents to get out of their car a second time to assess if he was a threat. His behavior is unbecoming of a public servant, and it’s just another example of sanctuary politicians putting our officers at risk.”
The starkly different versions of events underscore the growing tension between elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration authorities. For Huynh and his supporters, the incident isn’t just about politics—it’s about the safety and rights of everyday residents facing raids in their neighborhoods.
Watch the CNN report below:
