An instigator squares up against protesters after a brief fight. Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

By Dominic Guanzon

Sunday, 9/7/25

CORRECTION 9/7: A paragraph was removed that suggested DHS personnel was confirmed staying at the Hampton Inn, when it was only presumed by protesters. Verbiage was added to reinforce this.

UPDATE 9/7: The second instigator is Proud Boy Terry Newsome, as confirmed by Jeff Tischauser on Bluesky.

UPDATE 9/11: During a Thursday protest, at least four vehicles designated as DHS/US Federal Protective Service were spotted at 9:40PM at the Downers Grove Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites parking lot. The vehicles were parked a little more hidden this time, in the side/back of the complex. Their license plates read as:

G62 0942U
G62 0939U
G62 431OU
G62 5672S

G62 431OU is the same vehicle seen in the video from Immigrant Solidarity DuPage’s Cristobal. This lends credence to the idea that DHS personnel have been staying at the hotel. It is still unclear what Federal Protective Services’ role is in the Chicagoland arrests.

Update 9/26: At the Broadview ICE facility protest on 9/26, multiple FPS officers with riot shields were spotted on the federal police line, inter-mixed with ICE and CBP.

DOWNERS GROVE – Over 200 demonstrators gathered at a Downers Grove Hampton Inn & Suites (owned by Hilton), off I-355, to protest the sighting of Homeland Security (DHS) vehicles in its parking lot, and assumed housing of DHS personnel. The gathering saw two separate instances of third-party instigation, one of which turned violent when an instigator repeatedly pushed themselves up to protesters, resulting in punches being thrown.

A member of the West Suburban Democratic Socialists of America wears a shirt that says “VETERANS AGAINST ICE,” and waves a flag saying “¡YA BASTA!” Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, also known as Casa DuPage, runs a “DuPage People’s Patrol,” boasting 180 members. Over the weekend, a member of the patrol reported “five vans, two [DHS] vehicles” in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn at 1500 Opus Place, off Finley Road, by I-355, though it wasn’t confirmed if DHS personnel were actually staying at the hotel.

On Saturday, September 7th, Casa DuPage organizer Cristobal Cavazos uploaded a cellphone video to the group’s Facebook page, showing him personally confirming the presence of two white DHS vehicles adorned with lettering and a blue stripe from the US Federal Protective Service. The license plates read:

G62 431OU
G62 4971V

A call to protest was subsequently put out on socials for Sunday at 13:00, and groups such as the West Suburban Democratic Socialists of America (WSDSA), local clergy, and independent activists answered. By then, the DHS vehicles were gone.

A protester holds a sign saying “HOTEL IS FASCIST HQ” to passing vehicles outside the Hampton Inn. Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

Protesters held signs saying “HAMPTON INN SUPPORTS ICE,” “HOTEL IS FASCIST HQ,” and “I hope Staff Farts on Your Pillow!”

“These corporations, they market in Spanish left and right,” said Cavazos, clad in yellow vest and black beret, assuming DHS personnel had stayed inside. “I don’t think Latino customers and their customers of color are going to like…that [Hampton Inn is] renting out their rooms to people that are attacking us, kidnapping us, sequestering us, humiliating us and waging terror in our towns.”

The protest at about 13:30, positioned along Finley Road to invite passerby to honk in support. Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

A few minutes before 14:00, a shirtless male-presenting person, wearing white shorts and a faded Chicago Cubs baseball cap, walked up to the demonstration and began instigating the crowd.

The lone instigator continuously walked in and out of the crowd, moved into people’s faces, and flexed his torso for no other reason than to provoke a reaction. He exchanged verbal insults with random protesters, but was drowned out by the mass of protesters, who directed chants of “shame” and “racist go home” at him.

Older members of the protest attempted to calm the instigator down and defuse the situation.

The first of two separate instigators. The instigator was seen walking in and out of the crowd, moving into people’s faces, and flexing his torso in an attempt to provoke a reaction. Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

Eventually, punches were thrown, and the crowd successfully pushed the instigator backwards into the Hampton Inn parking lot. Witnesses who wished to remain anonymous claimed the instigator threw the first punch, noting his continuous weaving in and out of people’s faces, and brushing up against bodies.

Nearby officers from the Downers Grove Police Department intervened about three minutes after punches were thrown. Police gently detained the instigator by keeping him about 150 feet away from the main demonstration, but did not appear to arrest him. About a dozen protesters gave statements to DGPD.

While being escorted away willingly by officers, the instigator shouted “all my people are Mexican you dumb motherfuckers,” in an apparent attempt to not appear racist after instigating a fight at a pro-immigrant rally. “I’m from Cicero!”

The first instigator detained by DGPD. He was not observed as being arrested. Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

Half an hour later at 14:30, a second instigator, seemingly independent of the first, walked up to the gathered crowd, asking if they “support criminal Tren de Aragua that’s in the minority-white neighborhoods.” The second instigator ducked and weaved around the crowd while recording on his cellphone. The protesters drowned him out with chants as well.

UPDATE: The second instigator is Proud Boy Terry Newsome, as confirmed by Jeff Tischauser on Bluesky.

“We support the deportation of the criminals of the White House,” Cavazos shouted back.

Downers Grove Police again intervened five minutes later, when the instigator exchanged insults with, and moved within a couple feet to the front of, Cavazos. During verbal exchanges, the instigator dropped his wallet, which DGPD handed back to him.

A protester holds a sign saying “HAMPTON INN SUPPORTS ICE.” Downers Grove, 9/7/25.

“I am so proud of this group,” Cavazos commented after the second instigator left. “We’re making new allies out here. Some of the people I never met before in my life. Some of the people are old friends here, but we need that united front right now.”