US judge orders Chicago immigration officers to wear body cams amid protests
Order follows clashes where agents used tear gas, other aggressive tactics against protesters

ISTANBUL
A US federal judge on Thursday ordered federal immigration officers in the Chicago area to start wearing body cameras following incidents where agents deployed tear gas and used other aggressive tactics against protesters.
Judge Sara L. Ellis issued the ruling in a Chicago courtroom after recent clashes between immigration agents and residents on the city’s Southeast Side, during which agents reportedly used tear gas and other chemical weapons, USA Today reported.
The decision follows Ellis’ temporary restraining order on Oct. 9 that restricted the use of non-lethal weapons by immigration officers against civilians.
Ellis expressed deep concern over recent events, saying she was “profoundly concerned about what has been happening over the last week, since I entered this order,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “I live in Chicago, if folks haven't noticed. And I'm not blind. … I tend to get news,” she added.
The federal court’s decision comes in the midst of President Donald Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration enforcement crackdown in the Chicago area that the administration claims targets “the worst of the worst” criminal immigrants.
Ellis’ Oct. 16 order modifies a previous ruling from Oct. 9 issued in response to a lawsuit by clergy, protesters, and journalists who claimed federal agents unjustly used chemical weapons on demonstrators outside a suburban immigration facility. One notable incident referenced was a widely shared video showing a federal agent firing a pepper ball at local pastor Rev. David Black’s head.
The site has become a focal point for protests, where agents have used about $100,000 worth of non-lethal weapons to stop “rioters” from disrupting immigration enforcement, Trump administration attorney Eric Hamilton reportedly said during an Oct. 9 hearing on deploying National Guard troops to the area.
In court filings, Ellis stated that the use of chemical weapons likely “constituted excessive force” and described the attack on Black as an “unprovoked use of force.”
The initial court order, covering the entire Chicago area, requires agents to wear identification and to give two warnings before using chemical weapons.