Overview
- Government objections repeatedly slowed Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino’s videotaped deposition, prompting an on-the-record intervention by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis.
- Ellis said inquiries about Stephen Miller, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and alleged bounties are permissible if connected to Bovino’s justification for force.
- Justice Department attorney Sarmad Khojasteh told the court he felt sandbagged by questions on Los Angeles body‑camera footage, while plaintiffs alleged substantial obstruction.
- The 7th Circuit blocked Ellis’s nightly check‑in requirement on separation‑of‑powers grounds, but orders on body cameras, warnings, identification, and production of use‑of‑force reports remain.
- The deposition is under a protective order, with lawyers expecting portions to surface at Wednesday’s hearing on whether to impose more permanent limits on federal tactics in Chicago.