A Chicago pastor says he was praying when ICE agents fired a pepper ball at his head during a protest outside a federal detention facility.
Reverend David Black, a senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, was involved in a demonstration outside the Broadview ICE facility in Chicago last month when he was struck by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The event, captured in a now-viral video, depicts Black in his clerical collar among demonstrators, being hit in the head by a pepper ball fired from above.
He quickly collapsed to the ground as fellow protesters rushed to his aid.
Black alleged that officers fired without warning, striking him multiple times before spraying him with the chemical irritants.
‘They shot me in my head and my face and multiple times in my torso, arms and legs,’ he said.
‘I was shielded by others who rushed in to support me, taking many more hits meant for me. I was then led away to where a street medic assisted in washing out my eyes and tried to keep me safe. But I was completely impaired at that point.’
Reverend David Black (pictured), a senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, was participating in a demonstration outside the Broadview ICE facility in Chicago last month when he was struck by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The incident, captured in a now-viral video, shows Black dressed in his clerical collar, standing among demonstrators before being hit in the head by a pepper ball fired from the roof. Pictured: A police officer keeps watch as demonstrators protest outside the immigration processing and detention facility on October 10, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois.
Following the incident, the Chicago-based pastor said he heard ICE agents ‘laughing’ as they were ‘shooting’ protestors from the facility’s roof.
‘We could hear them laughing as they were shooting us from the roof, and it was deeply disturbing,’ Black told CNN.
‘We witnessed several issues with these ICE agents in Broadview, and it highlights their disorganization and inadequate supervision and training.’
Black explained that he had been standing to the side, praying for both the detained immigrants and the ICE officers themselves moments before he was ‘shot.’
‘There were no ICE vehicles attempting to leave the facility,’ he said. ‘I was standing to the side in a gesture of prayer and praying verbally for the ICE officers and those detained inside.’
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary with the Department of Homeland Security, has since disputed Black’s account, claiming demonstrators had blocked ICE vehicles and thrown rocks, bottles, and fireworks at agents on the roof.
Black said he was praying when ICE agents fired the pepper ball at his head. Pictured: David Black seen at the September protest outside the ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois
Black alleged that officers fired without warning, striking him multiple times before spraying him with the chemical irritants. Pictured: An ICE agent wielding a pepper ball gun with his finger on the trigger on September 26, 2025 outside the Broadview ICE Facility in Broadview, Illinois
He quickly collapsed to the ground as fellow protesters rushed to his aid. Pictured: David Black on the ground after being struck by a pepper ball outside the ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois
The Chicago-based pastor later said he heard ICE agents ‘laughing’ as they were ‘shooting’ protestors from the facility’s roof. ‘We could hear them laughing as they were shooting us from the roof, and it was deeply disturbing,’ Black told CNN
‘Obstructing law enforcement puts officers, detainees and the public at risk. If you are obstructing law enforcement, you can expect to be met with force,’ McLaughlin said in a statement to People.
But, Black called those claims ‘categorically false,’ saying the protest was peaceful and that demonstrators were ‘standing and speaking and singing peacefully and chanting peacefully’ before the violence began.
‘I find it interesting that this individual believes I flipped them the bird,’ he said, adding, ‘because theologically as I have been praying for all of these people, I’ve been hoping that the Holy Spirit will descend upon them and open their hearts and minds.
‘To the extent that the Holy Spirit appears as a bird, perhaps there is spiritual truth to her claim,’ he continued.
In the aftermath, Black joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration alongside journalists and other protesters, accusing ICE and federal officials of violating their First and Fourth Amendment rights, The Independent reported.
Tricia McLaughlin (pictured), an assistant secretary with the Department of Homeland Security, has since disputed Black’s account, claiming demonstrators had blocked ICE vehicles and thrown rocks, bottles, and fireworks at agents on the roof
However, Black called McLaughlin’s claims ‘categorically false,’ saying the protest was peaceful and that demonstrators were ‘standing and speaking and singing peacefully and chanting peacefully’ before the violence began. Pictured: Security measures are taken as tensions rise over protests targeting federal ICE operations near the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois
Black has since joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration alongside journalists and other protesters, accusing ICE and federal officials of violating their First and Fourth Amendment rights. Pictured: Police clash with demonstrators protesting near the immigration processing and detention facility on October 10, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois
The complaint alleges ‘a pattern of extreme brutality’ meant to ‘silence the press and civilians’ through the use of tear gas, flash grenades, and rubber bullets against peaceful demonstrators.
‘No legitimate purpose exists for this brutality or for these arrests,’ the lawsuit states.
‘The officers are not physically threatened. No government property is threatened. Defendants are acting to intimidate and silence the press and civilians engaged in protected First Amendment activities.’
The legal filing also claims the government violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, arguing that ICE agents’ actions ‘substantially burdened’ clergy members’ ability to exercise their faith.
‘I am grateful to show up with these protesters – people who deeply believe in democracy and are bringing peaceful and moral witness against what the Trump administration is trying to do in Chicago,’ Black said.
