Democracy Dies in DarknessNationalRafael Veraza said he and his family were driving out of a parking lot when they were sprayed. The Department of Homeland Security disputed the allegation.Updated November 11, 2025Rafael Veraza holds his daughter, Ariana, during a news conference decrying federal agents’ use of force in Chicago, on Sunday. (Candace Dane Chambers/Chicago Sun-Times/AP)A father, his 1-year-old daughter and other family members were pepper-sprayed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents when they were going grocery shopping in a Chicago suburb last week, the family and supporters said Sunday at a news conference.