Chicago hosts peaceful demonstrations as Border Patrol chief faces heightened scrutiny

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In a notable shift from recent tensions, demonstrators gathered peacefully outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center near Chicago on Friday. This change in atmosphere marked a departure from the previously volatile interactions between protesters and federal agents.

At the Broadview, Illinois facility, police communicated with demonstrators, allowing them to enter a designated protest area earlier than planned, provided they refrained from occupying the streets. The officers cautioned that stepping into the streets would result in arrests. This cooperative approach followed weeks of heated confrontations between demonstrators and federal forces over ICE activities in and around the city.

In a related incident, Gregory Bovino, a senior official with the U.S. Border Patrol, faces accusations of violating a federal judge’s temporary restraining order. The order restricts the use of riot control tactics such as tear gas unless an imminent threat is present. A recently surfaced video purportedly captures Bovino throwing a tear gas canister into a crowd of protesters in Chicago, raising concerns about compliance with the court’s directive. Lawyers for the protesters, as well as journalists and clergy members, assert that the footage illustrates a breach of the court order, with no prior warning issued to the crowd.

The Department of Homeland Security responded to the incident, claiming that Bovino deployed the tear gas after protesters in the Little Village area turned violent, allegedly hurling rocks, fireworks, and other objects at agents. A spokesperson for the department reported that Bovino was struck in the head by a rock during the confrontation.

“What we’ve seen this past week has been an escalation from ICE in the city,” Jackie Birov, a protester, told . “We’ve seen them violate the TRO. We saw Greg Bovino himself throw a tear gas canister at people in Little Village yesterday. They’ve arrested multiple U.S. citizens; they’ve arrested high school students.”

Elsewhere in the city, protesters were seen demonstrating after federal agents and officers were spotted in the majority-Hispanic neighborhood of Little Village this week. At least six people were detained on Thursday. Chicago police responded to multiple 911 calls, including some from federal agents needing assistance. One person was arrested for allegedly battering a Chicago police officer. Community members say two students on their way to school were detained and allegedly assaulted by federal agents.

“What they did is illegal, they attacked. They detained him over what,” Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez said. “There is no charges, so we want to understand why they go detained to begin with.”

Community members and faith leaders are now calling for answers.

“We have U.S. citizens being picked up we have minors being picked up so this is absolutely wrong,” Dr. Emma Lozano, a pastor said.

Judge Sara Ellis has requested to see the body camera footage from the incidents on Wednesday and Thursday as part of Bovino’s deposition and has reminded federal agents to preserve their body camera video.

Meanwhile, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker has created an accountability commission to document and examine what’s happening with Operation Midway Blitz, accusing federal agents of quote a dangerous abuse of power. Pritzker wants the people of Illinois to record everything and post it on social media.

The Department of Homeland Security responded in a statement writing, “Once again, Governor Pritzker continues to smear law enforcement who simply enforcing the rule of law and are putting their lives on the line to remove violent criminals from Illinois because JB Pritzker refuses to do his job.”

Pritzker says a report from the commission will be issued in January.