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Judge Expands Restraining Order to Require Bodycams, Tighten ICECBP Protest Response in Chicago

Testimony exposing missing ICE bodycams alongside auto-deleting Broadview video prompted the move.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis now requires on‑scene activation of body‑worn cameras for agents interacting with protesters, building on earlier limits to crowd‑control tactics and protections for journalists.
  • CBP testified that more than 200 Border Patrol agents assigned to Chicago have bodycams and are trained to use them, while ICE Special Response Teams do not have the devices.
  • ICE official Shawn Byers said broader issuance at ICE would need congressional funding, highlighting a gap between the court’s mandate and agency resources.
  • Ellis flagged evidence‑preservation risks after ICE acknowledged Broadview detention center’s exterior security footage automatically overwrites after 28 days.
  • The judge pressed CBP’s Kyle Harvick and ICE’s Byers on compliance, training and command clarity, signaled further testimony from senior officials including Russell Hott and Gregory Bovino, and the administration continued to dispute media accounts of protest policing.