A U.S. Citizen Was Tackled Outside a Chicago Walgreens — and the Constitution Went With Him
Let’s stop calling this a mix-up.
Let’s stop pretending this was confusion or bad luck.
A 19-year-old U.S. citizen, born and raised in this country, was tackled to the ground by ICE agents outside a Walgreens in Chicago while screaming, “I’m a U.S. citizen.” His name is Warren King, and the only thing that made him suspicious was how he looked.
According to ABC7 Chicago, federal agents rushed into the store chasing someone else. Minutes later, King was face-down on the ground, pinned by agents who ignored his repeated pleas and his clear assertion of citizenship. Video shows him trying to explain. It didn’t matter.
His words didn’t matter.
His citizenship didn’t matter.
Reality didn’t matter.
“I’m born here. I’m legal,” King told them. They didn’t listen.
He was held for hours and then quietly released. No charges. No paperwork. No apology. Just the silent acknowledgment that they grabbed the wrong person and moved on.
That is not law enforcement. That is intimidation backed by a badge.
This incident unfolded as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ramps up aggressive operations across Chicago. Officials insist these actions are narrowly targeted at undocumented immigrants with criminal records. That claim collapses the moment a teenager with a U.S. birthright is slammed onto concrete in broad daylight.
And here’s the part no one in power wants to say out loud: Warren King was targeted because of race, not conduct. If citizenship can be ignored, if due process can be skipped, and if “wrong person” carries no consequences, then these operations are not about public safety. They are about force, speed, and fear.
From a legal standpoint, the implications are severe.
The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable seizures. A seizure occurs the moment a person is physically restrained. King was tackled without individualized suspicion, without probable cause, and without any articulable basis tying him to an alleged offense. Courts have repeatedly ruled that proximity to an enforcement action does not justify detention. Using force under those circumstances raises serious claims of unlawful seizure and excessive force.
The Fifth Amendment guarantees due process. King was deprived of liberty for hours, denied prompt verification of his citizenship, and released without explanation. Detaining a citizen after agents know — or should know — there is no lawful basis for custody is a textbook due process violation.
Equal protection principles also come into play. Federal agents are bound by them. If race played any role in why King, and not others nearby, was tackled and detained, that constitutes unlawful racial profiling. Courts have been clear: race alone, or race combined with vague assumptions, cannot justify stops or seizures.
There is also potential liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows claims for false imprisonment when federal officers intentionally restrain someone without legal authority. King was conscious of his confinement, restrained by force, and ultimately released without charges. The elements are there.
This incident also doesn’t stand alone. A Chicago TV producer was recently detained and released without explanation. A Cook County judge has ordered ICE agents to wear body cameras after multiple complaints of excessive force. Courts do not intervene like that unless a pattern is already visible.
And that brings us to the most dangerous part of all: the message.
If a recent high school graduate can be tackled outside a neighborhood drugstore while begging agents to listen, then no passport, no birth certificate, no claim of citizenship truly protects you. The burden has shifted. The government no longer has to prove suspicion first. You have to survive the encounter long enough to prove innocence.
This wasn’t a mistake.
It was a warning.
Because the real question isn’t whether this will happen again.
It’s who they decide looks suspicious next.
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