A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a senior U.S. Border Patrol official to meet with her daily to report on enforcement activity, following weeks of clashes between immigration agents and the public in the Chicago area.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis directed Greg Bovino, chief of the Border Patrol’s El Centro sector in California, to provide daily updates and turn over all use-of-force reports tied to Operation Midway Blitz, an ongoing immigration enforcement campaign that began Sept. 2. The operation has led to more than 1,800 arrests and prompted complaints of excessive force.
Ellis expressed alarm over videos and photographs showing agents confronting protesters and deploying tear gas at a weekend Halloween event. “Children at a Halloween parade do not pose an immediate threat to a law enforcement officer,” Ellis said in court. “And you cannot use riot control weapons against them.”
Bovino, wearing a green Border Patrol uniform, took the witness stand in federal court, representing the Trump administration’s latest effort to expand immigration enforcement beyond the U.S. border.
The hearing is part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by news organizations and protesters who accuse agents of using excessive force during demonstrations against immigration sweeps. Ellis said her order is meant to ensure transparency and accountability as the operation continues.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
