Chicago Police officers escort Chicago Alderwoman Julia Ramirez, second from left, and an unamed aide, second from right, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 in Brighton Park as protesters started attacking the two. (Screenshot from Telemundo Chicago on YouTube)

Multiple xenophobic, anti-migrant protesters physically attacked a Chicago alderwoman and her aide in Brighton Park Thursday morning, briefly sending the latter to the hospital.

Ald. Julia Ramirez, a freshman alderwoman of the southwest 12th ward who assumed office in May, said in a statement that she attended a protest at the site of a proposed migrant tent camp to garner community feedback. Video taken by several local news reporters and outlets show most protesters swarming Ramirez and an unnamed aide, with many grabbing, pushing and shoving themselves into them.

The two were escorted by multiple Chicago Police officers into an SUV, which quickly drove away. Ramirez said that the aide was then admitted to the hospital and found to be in “good condition.” A Chicago Police Department spokesperson told WTTW News that Ramirez declined medical attention.

Many Chicago news organizations — including the Chicago Tribune, CBS Chicago and ABC7 Chicago — have not called the widely filmed attack an attack.

Protesters gathered at the site of a proposed “winterized” tent encampment for migrants currently residing at CPD stations and O’Hare Airport. No site has been chosen, and the decision is not up to Ramirez but rather Mayor Brandon Johnson, mayoral press secretary Ronnie Reese told NBC Chicago.

“I wanted to engage directly with my community to address misinformation being spread about my involvement in the plan, and how we should move forward as a community,” Ramirez said. “After having a few conversations, it became clear that most of the protesters did not want to engage in a peaceful dialogue with me. It was truly a disappointing experience.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the attack in an emailed statement, saying his office and CPD are investigating the incident.

“I learned today that an alderwoman and an aide, while attempting to meet with constituents, were victims of a physical attack by area residents. My administration supports the right to peaceful protest and free speech, but this type of action against a public servant is unconscionable,” Johnson said. “Any violent act against an elected official in our city is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

Between August 2022 and Oct. 5, more than 17,000 asylum-seeking migrants have arrived in Chicago, according to city data. Many of them have been bussed from Republican-led states like Texas as a roundabout way of demanding more federal involvement at the southern border. The mayor’s office has been researching possible privately-owned tent encampments that can handle colder weather, including one at a vacant former semi-truck lot near 38th Street and California Avenue.

Many Brighton Park residents say there has been no community input on encampment placements, despite no approval from the mayor’s office or the company building the encampments, GardaWorld Federal Services LLC. But much of Thursday’s protest used general anti-migrant sentiment. According to Block Club Chicago, one chant went, “No los queremos aquí, de ningún lado,” which means, “We don’t want them here, anywhere” in Spanish.

The protest mainly consisted of Latino and Asian residents, according to the Tribune. City data from 2021 shows that over 80% of the southwest Chicago neighborhood is Hispanic or Latino, followed by an almost 10% Asian population.