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Judge Orders Daily Check-Ins With Border Patrol Chief Over Chicago Immigration Tactics

The ruling tightens oversight after allegations, supported by video, that agents violated limits on chemical use during Operation Midway Blitz.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis directed Gregory Bovino to appear in person each evening, begin using a body-worn camera by Friday, and produce use-of-force reports dating to Sept. 2.
  • The court also ordered Homeland Security to turn over related bodycam footage and information on arrests tied to protests as it weighs possible sanctions and expanded limits.
  • Plaintiffs submitted footage they say shows Bovino deploying tear gas without required warnings, while a separate filing alleges an agent pointed a gun at a protester and issued a threat.
  • DHS officials defend the tactics, saying agents were boxed in by hostile crowds, issued multiple warnings, and used crowd-control measures after attacks that included an object striking Bovino.
  • Residents and verified videos describe tear gas used on residential streets, including an Old Irving Park incident that disrupted a children’s Halloween parade; Operation Midway Blitz has produced more than 1,800 arrests in Chicago since September.