Overview

• U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis said all agents operating under Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area must wear body-worn cameras that remain on during enforcement after a crackdown that has produced more than 1,000 arrests.
• Ellis’s earlier temporary restraining order barred use of tear gas, pepper balls and certain physical force against journalists and peaceful protesters absent an immediate threat, and required visible identification and two audible warnings before deploying crowd-control measures.
• The judge cited reported incidents in Albany Park and on the Southeast Side involving tear gas and a vehicle crash, questioning whether agents gave required warnings or wore badges.
• Ellis ordered ICE Chicago Field Office Director Russell Hott to testify Monday about alleged violations, while a Justice Department attorney disputed media accounts as inaccurate.
• In a related case, a federal judge in Oregon extended for 14 days an order blocking National Guard deployment to Portland as appellate courts weigh the administration’s federalization efforts.