Jerry Davich

Metro columnist

Old Glory emerged like a patriotic mirage through a heavy cloud of tear gas.

Outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the village of Broadview, Illinois, an activist waved a large American flag on a pole, with a smaller American flag tucked in his pocket. The small but vocal protest Friday turned into violent encounters resulting in tear gas fired from federal agents, multiple arrests and national news.

That ICE processing facility in suburban Chicago has become a flashpoint site since President Donald Trump’s sweeping illegal immigration crackdown began in the city. What I’ve noticed amid those confrontations are American flags hoisted in defiance by some of the demonstrators.

It’s a reminder of a historic truth in our politically polar

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