Masked agents snatch comedy club manager
Turmoil in Chicago
The night manager of the Chicago Laugh Factory has been taken into custody by US federal agents.
The venue posted footage onto YouTube tonight showed three armed men in military-style camouflage gear bundling the man into an unmarked white SUV in handcuffs. Their uniforms were marked Police BORTAC - the Border Patrol Tactical Unit.
It came after a tussle which ended with the man – identified only as Nate – and a woman thought to be his mother, and two officers on the floor. Two Chicago police officers can also be seen in the video as members of the public can be heard screaming for help and insisting, ‘He didn't do anything!’
The agents all kept their faces covered, while the person filming the incident demanded: ‘Let us see your face for once, you coward!’
The post was captioned: ‘Laugh Factory Night Manager Nate was detained by masked federal Agents outside the club. Email or dm us any information pertaining to this situation.’
It’s believed the man’s surname is Griffin.
A video from another angle was posted on Reddit with a user commenting: ‘A friend's son, a US citizen, has been abducted by ICE in Chicago. No charges, no due process, no explanation, no idea where he is now.’
The manager was detained after he ‘attempted to impede and obstruct federal officers,’ a Border Patrol spokesperson told NBC in a statement that alleged he tried to shut the door of the SUV on an agent's leg. They said he had been taken to the FBI for questioning.
Chicago police told CBS news its officers responded to a call about a battery in progress. When they arrived, said officers saw federal agents ‘engaged in a physical altercation with two individuals’ as a crowd gathered.
There has been increasing anger at President Donald Trump's ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ deportation drive in Chicago with many claiming the clampdown is unconstitutional. Earlier this week a Border Patrol official defied a court order to use tear gas against a demonstration.
A sign on the entrance to Laugh Factory currently says: ‘Private Area No Trespassing You Do Not Have Consent To Enter For Civil Immigration Enforcement Purposes.’
Published: 24 Oct 2025
