A disturbing video circulating online has sparked outrage after showing a Chicago pastor being shot in the face with a pepper ball by masked ICE agents during a peaceful immigration protest.

The video, shared on X by Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council, shows three heavily armed ICE agents standing on the roof of a building near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the Chicago area. Below them, demonstrators, including Rev. David Black of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, are seen peacefully protesting the government’s immigration policies.

In the footage, Rev. Black—dressed in black clergy attire and wearing a clerical collar—extends his arms toward the agents in what appears to be a gesture of prayer. Moments later, one of the agents fires pepper balls into the crowd, hitting the pastor directly in the face. A puff of white smoke can be seen as he falls to his knees, clutching his face in pain.

Speaking with Religion News Service, Rev. Black described what was going through his mind in that moment.

“I looked up at them and began to pray,” he said. “I invited them to repentance. I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

Black says he could hear the agents laughing after he was struck. His account adds to a growing list of violent encounters between federal agents and demonstrators near the Broadview, Illinois, ICE detention facility, where protests have intensified in recent weeks.

The protests are part of a larger national movement of faith leaders speaking out against the Trump administration’s renewed immigration enforcement under “Operation Midway Blitz,” which targets individuals living in the country without legal status who also have criminal charges or records.

According to Religion News, clergy and faith-based activists, including Black, have been met with increasing aggression—ranging from non-lethal projectiles to arrests—while engaging in peaceful demonstrations. Protesters often sing hymns, hold prayer circles, or read Scripture near the facility as acts of solidarity with detained immigrants and their families.

This week, Rev. Black joined several other clergy members as a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The suit alleges violations of the First and Fourth Amendments, as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Attorneys argue that Black and other faith leaders were targeted for expressing their beliefs and participating in constitutionally protected acts of worship and protest.

For Black, the painful moment caught on camera has only strengthened his resolve.

“As Christians, we are called to stand with the oppressed and speak truth to power,” he said. “If that means suffering for righteousness’ sake, then I will keep showing up.”

A Prayer For Justice and Healing:

Heavenly Father,

We lift up Rev. David Black and all who suffer for standing in faith and compassion. Bring healing to his body, peace to his spirit, and courage to those who speak for the voiceless. We ask for justice, for mercy, and for hearts to be softened—both among those who protest and those who enforce the law. May Your love overcome fear, and may Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.