CHICAGO, IL (WBBM Newsradio) – Northern District of Illinois Judge Sara Ellis in her issuance of a temporary injunction on physical force and chemical irritants that impact entire crowds said on Thursday, “Lawlessness outside the ICE facility in Broadview, IL is not occurring by protestors, but by the actions taken by some of the federal agents.”
While the injunction goes into effect for federal officers and agents reporting for work at the facility on Friday, by the weekend it will apply to all federal officers operating within the Northern District of Illinois and last for 14 days, but judge Ellis expressed interest in extending that further while a federal lawsuit proceeds in which plaintiffs include members of the press, clergy, protestors and others who claim violation of their 1st amendment rights in the excessive force and tactics used by federal agents.
The injunction, issued from the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago, specifically prohibits the targeting of any individual engaged in peaceful protest or other activities that would be considered free speech, targeting credentialled members of the press or members of the community documenting or sharing what they see, along with anyone peacefully practicing their religion.
There are instances where certain tactics can be used by the feds but they must only target individuals engaged in behavior that could cause destruction to property or harm to others, even so multiple warnings must be issued before officers are able to respond with force and if projectiles are fired, they can not be aimed at sensitive parts of the body such as the head, eyes, or neck.
Under the injunction federal agents must also be clearly identifiable unless engaged in undercover operations.
The granting of this motion was celebrated by attorneys for the plaintiffs, among them John Loevy. “We as a country are fortunate to live here, where people can protest, they can make their voices heard, and can do that free of retaliation or violence,” said Loevy.
Defendants in the lawsuit include President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, along with many of the agencies and individual officers involved during protests outside the Broadview immigration processing center.
U.S. Department of Justice attorney Sean Skedzielewski opposed but acknowledged the ruling on behalf of the defendants. “We think the entire thing will be unworkable and cause a lot of problems,” he said.
Judge Ellis made clear, that the injunction applies to everyone named in the lawsuit except for President Trump.