Executive Summary
- U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis is overseeing a hearing regarding alleged excessive force by federal immigration agents in Chicago.
- Judge Ellis previously ordered agents to wear badges, banned certain riot-control tactics, and mandated body cameras.
- Senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino’s deposition, acknowledging tear gas use and instructions to arrest “hyperbolic” protesters, is part of the court proceedings.
- U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman is addressing a class-action lawsuit alleging “unnecessarily cruel” and “inhuman” conditions at a Chicago-area immigration facility.
- A temporary restraining order to address the facility conditions is expected from Judge Gettleman.
Federal judges in Chicago are set to consider allegations of excessive force by federal immigration agents and address claims of ‘inhuman’ conditions at a local immigration facility during court proceedings scheduled for Wednesday. These hearings stem from multiple lawsuits filed by news organizations, protesters, and detainees detailing tense encounters and substandard living environments.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis is presiding over a preliminary injunction hearing following a lawsuit alleging federal immigration agents in the Chicago area have used excessive force, including tear gas, during demonstrations. Judge Ellis has previously mandated agents wear badges, banned specific riot-control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists, and required body cameras after repeatedly chastising federal officials for non-compliance with prior orders.
Senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who was questioned by Judge Ellis last week, appeared for a deposition on Tuesday. Court filings indicate that parts of Bovino’s videotaped testimony, in which he acknowledged tossing tear gas and instructing officers to arrest protesters for “hyperbolic comments,” will be presented in court Wednesday.
Potential witnesses at the hearing include a pastor allegedly hit by a chemical agent, local officials detained during protests, and a protester claiming temporary hearing loss from a flash-bang grenade, according to court records.
Concurrently, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman is expected to rule Wednesday afternoon on a class-action lawsuit filed by detainees alleging “inhuman” conditions at a Chicago-area immigration facility. On Tuesday, Judge Gettleman described the reported conditions — including overflowing toilets, crowded cells, no beds, and “sewer-tasting” water — as “unnecessarily cruel” after hearing detailed accounts.
Judge Gettleman has scheduled a reconvened hearing for 4:15 p.m. local time Wednesday, anticipating the issuance of a temporary restraining order to address these critical conditions promptly.
The simultaneous proceedings underscore a significant judicial focus on accountability for federal agents’ conduct and the welfare of individuals held in immigration detention in the Chicago area. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the validity of these allegations will be determined through judicial findings.
