A manager at the Laugh Factory in Chicago was arrested for allegedly obstructing a federal immigration operation, but his mother claims agents “kidnapped” him right before her eyes.
According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to a call about a battery in progress outside the club at around 9:20 a.m. on Friday. Upon arrival, they found federal agents involved in a physical altercation with two individuals, NBC Chicago reported.
A viral video of the encounter shows federal agents taking night manager Nathan Griffin to the ground and placing him under arrest as onlookers scream at the agents to stop amid the chaotic scene. The footage captures a physical struggle involving Griffin, his mother Elaine Plybon, and the agents.
Bystanders yelled, “Why are you doing this? Where are you taking him?” as Griffin was lifted off the ground and led into a car. Another person shouted, “Let us see your face.”
Witness Will Kolic, who works nearby and knows the manager, told NBC Chicago he saw multiple cars pull up and men grab a man who appeared to be Hispanic. Kolic said agents then “jumped out of their car” and snatched the Laugh Factory’s manager while he was standing with his mother. At one point, agents were also seen restraining Griffin’s mother on the ground.
A Border Patrol spokesperson told NBC Chicago that Griffin was detained after he “attempted to impede and obstruct federal officers.” They also claimed he tried to shut the door of the federal agents’ car on an agent’s leg.
“The individual was immediately detained and turned over to the FBI for investigation,” the spokesperson added.
Griffin’s mother expressed her distress in a video posted on Instagram, saying her son was “kidnapped by Border Patrol in front of my eyes.”
“For those of you who don’t know, I was in Chicago visiting my son, and he was kidnapped by Border Patrol in front of my eyes,” Plybon said. “When I think about going out the door in the morning, I don’t want to. Because I do not want to encounter the SUV, the screams, the crying, and the horrific things that I saw before I was pulled into the fray when somebody tried to kidnap my son.”
In response to the incident, Griffin’s brother-in-law and mother launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise legal funds.
“My brother-in-law Nathan was detained by border patrol officers today in Chicago, despite the fact that he is a natural-born American citizen,” Tom Pinney wrote on the fundraising page. “After being arrested and hidden throughout the system, he finally resurfaced about 4 hours after his detainment in FBI custody awaiting a hearing for a federal assault charge which could carry 8 years in prison if convicted.”
Since its creation on Saturday, the GoFundMe has raised more than $20,000.
“The amazing outpouring of support is reminding us of the America we love. We cannot thank you enough!” Plybon wrote in an update on the fundraising page.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/27/us-news/laugh-factory-manager-arrested-in-front-of-mother-outside-chicago-comedy-club-by-federal-agents/