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A tense incident occurred this past Saturday, November 8, in the neighborhood of La Villita, in southwest Chicago, when the head of the Border Patrol in the region, Gregory Bovino, was removed along with several of his agents from Carnicería y Taquería Aguascalientes, a business with a long-standing Latino tradition on the iconic 26th Street.
The owner of the establishment, Carlos Macías, denied service to Bovino and his companions, arguing that his establishment is private property and that federal agents cannot enter without a valid court order.
On the façade of the business, several signs warn: "NO ICE. Federal agents cannot enter without a legal order", explained the channel Univisión.
"The guy Bovino came in around 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning wanting to be served, and he was denied," Macías recounted.
"I told him no, that it was a private place, that it was mine, and that he had to leave. That there was no service for him," emphasized the owner of the establishment, named Aguascalientes, located in an area with a predominantly Mexican population.
According to witnesses, Bovino replied that the venue was a "public place," to which the employees insisted it was private property.
After a brief exchange, the border chief and his agents left, not without—according to those present—laughing and lingering for a few minutes in the business's parking lot.
The security cameras of the establishment recorded the moment when Bovino and the agents entered the premises and were confronted by the cashier, Eli Gutiérrez, who was the first to deny them service.
"The cashier told them that it was private property, that they had to leave, and that they were not going to be sold to." explained Michele Macías, daughter of the owners.
According to the family, the agents stayed in the parking lot for a while before leaving.
"My dad went out and told Bovino that he also needed to leave the parking lot because it was private property. Bovino replied that he wasn't going to leave and that if he got any closer, he would arrest him," Michele recounted.
Finally, after several minutes of tension, the federal agents left the site.
Although there were no arrests or interrogations, the Macías family confessed to feeling fear and frustration due to the constant presence of the Border Patrol in La Villita, as part of the Midway Blitz operation, which has intensified immigration controls in Latino neighborhoods of Chicago.
“Very much fear, a lot of sadness, because we all live here. As business owners, we want to protect our employees, because they are like our second family,” expressed Michele Macías.
The community's response was immediate. Within a matter of hours, the butcher shop received dozens of positive reviews on Google Maps and messages of support from across the country.
“Thank you for supporting our Latin community,” wrote Karla M. Rojas.
Another user, Luis del Ángel, commented: “I haven't bought there, but I appreciate what they did. When I can, I will go buy tacos.”
Defenders of migration rights applauded the stance of the Macías family as an act of peaceful resistance against what they consider "militarization" of Latino neighborhoods.
The incident occurs amid a climate of increasing tension between federal authorities and the immigrant community in Chicago, following a series of raids and arrests in Hispanic markets and neighborhoods.
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