CHICAGO (AP) — Many federal officers assigned to immigration enforcement in the Chicago area have body cameras, but Congress would need to allocate more funds to expand their use, officials testified Monday at a hearing about the tactics agents are using in the Trump administration’s crackdown, which has produced more than 1,000 arrests.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis last week ordered uniformed agents to wear cameras, if available, and turn them on when engaged in arrests, frisks, building searches, or when deployed to protests. She held a hearing Monday at which she questioned officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about their operations and complaints that agents are increasingly using combative tactics.
Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander with CBP, stated that 201 Border Patrol agents in the Chicago area are equipped with body cameras. However, Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for ICE, indicated that more funding is required to expand camera use beyond just two of that agency’s field offices. Currently, there are no cameras worn by ICE agents at a facility in Broadview, outside Chicago, where immigrants are held before transfer, which has been a site of significant protests.
Ellis indicated that she would permit the questioning of additional federal officials, including Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief leading CBP’s operations in Chicago. This hearing is part of a lawsuit brought by news organizations and community groups regarding the agents' conduct during protests and arrests.
Attorneys and the judge discussed the importance of agents wearing badges and refraining from violent crowd control measures against peaceful protesters. Concerns regarding agents' use of tear gas were addressed, particularly regarding an incident where protesters reportedly impeded agents' movement.
The Justice Department defended the use of force, emphasizing that officers have faced attacks and injuries while executing their duties in Chicago. Separately, the Trump administration has been prohibited from deploying the National Guard in Illinois to assist immigration enforcement, with the order set to expire soon unless extended.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis last week ordered uniformed agents to wear cameras, if available, and turn them on when engaged in arrests, frisks, building searches, or when deployed to protests. She held a hearing Monday at which she questioned officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about their operations and complaints that agents are increasingly using combative tactics.
Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander with CBP, stated that 201 Border Patrol agents in the Chicago area are equipped with body cameras. However, Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for ICE, indicated that more funding is required to expand camera use beyond just two of that agency’s field offices. Currently, there are no cameras worn by ICE agents at a facility in Broadview, outside Chicago, where immigrants are held before transfer, which has been a site of significant protests.
Ellis indicated that she would permit the questioning of additional federal officials, including Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief leading CBP’s operations in Chicago. This hearing is part of a lawsuit brought by news organizations and community groups regarding the agents' conduct during protests and arrests.
Attorneys and the judge discussed the importance of agents wearing badges and refraining from violent crowd control measures against peaceful protesters. Concerns regarding agents' use of tear gas were addressed, particularly regarding an incident where protesters reportedly impeded agents' movement.
The Justice Department defended the use of force, emphasizing that officers have faced attacks and injuries while executing their duties in Chicago. Separately, the Trump administration has been prohibited from deploying the National Guard in Illinois to assist immigration enforcement, with the order set to expire soon unless extended.
