New, permanent rules on use of force are expected to be put on federal immigration agents in the Chicago area.
The ruling from federal Judge Sara Ellis comes after days of testimony regarding Operation Midway Blitz, during which Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and supervisors defended the use of tear gas, pepper spray and more during protests in the Chicago area.
Bovino called his agents work "more than exemplary.”
Ellis, however, called much of the evidence for use of force “not credible” and enacted permanent restrictions on what force immigration agents can use.
An attorney for the city called the case a matter of a free speech, while a DOJ lawyer said its about allowing law enforcement to do its job “in the face of agitators."
While celebrating today’s new injunction from a federal judge targeting federal immigration agents in Chicago, advocates and their attorneys say the fight is far from over.
“These brave Chicagoans have stood up for themselves. They’ve stood up for their rights and they’ve stood up for what is right. And Judge Ellis saw that.”
One of those Chicagoans to testify in court was Reverend David Black, also at the center of a viral photo of ICE agents confronting him during a protest in Broadview.
“We have brought our voices in prayers, in words of condemnation and in songs of liberation. In response, we have been shot with near lethal munitions, we have been tear gassed, we have been doused in chemical weapons, concussed and subjected to campaigns of terror.”
Outside the courtroom, many called the injunction from Judge Sara Ellis a win for democracy and human rights, and vowed to keep showing up to ensure agents are following the rules.
“We spoke out, we stood firm, and this time, we prevailed.”