By Steve Neavling
A federal judge in Chicago pressed immigration authorities Monday on whether they violated a court order by continuing to use tear gas and violent tactics against protesters and journalists.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis previously barred federal agents from deploying chemical agents on protesters or journalists who pose no threat, NBC News reports. But after new reports of tear gas use, Ellis said she had “concerns that the TRO wasn’t being followed.”
The questioning came as part of a hearing over Operation Midway Blitz, a Department of Homeland Security crackdown that has led to more than 1,500 arrests across Illinois. DHS has not commented on the hearing.
Kyle Harvick, a CBP official, testified that about 230 agents had been deployed in the Chicago area, all equipped with body cameras. He said officers are trained in crowd control and warned crowds before deploying gas.
“A warning is given before you deploy gas,” Harvick said.
Ellis asked about several incidents, including one in which agents used tear gas after a Border Patrol vehicle collided with another car. Harvick said the gas was justified because the crowd became “hostile” and threw objects at officers.
Chicago Deputy Mayor Beatriz Ponce De Leon said the escalation “is going to cause harm. It’s not the people of Chicago — it is the federal agents.”
The lawsuit, filed Oct. 6 by journalists and protesters, accuses federal agents of using excessive force and retaliating against people exercising their First Amendment rights.
