Border Patrol Commander Boasts About 3K Arrests Made In Chicago, Gets Ripped By Judge Over Tear Gas Use

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino has recently boasted that nearly 3,000 people have been arrested in Chicago so far since the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the city began last month, but, on Tuesday, Bovino was admonished by a federal judge over the way his agents have gone about making these arrests, which, as we’ve noted multiple times, has been largely comprised of workers and residents who may or may not have their legal paperwork in order, but are not the hardened gang members with extensive criminal records that the administration has claimed it’s going after.

Specifically, the judge spent more than an hour reading Bovino for filth over his agency’s use of force and tear gas in Chicago near schools and residential areas, which violates that same judge’s previous order limiting their use of such tactics.

According to the New York Times,  Sara L. Ellis of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois read to Bovino from the very order she implemented as a result of a lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security over the brutal tactics of ICE and other federal agencies. Ellis also cited numerous instances of ICE agents appearing to ignore her order, including a recent incident in which they used tear gas in a neighborhood where children were about to march in a Halloween parade. She said that during that incident, agents failed to warn residents before tossing tear gas canisters at them, including one agent who she said threw a canister out of a car as it drove away.

Since Bovino seems unable or unwilling to keep his agents under control, the good judge has decided to treat them all like children, ordering him to appear for weekly reviews of their behavior.

From the Times:

The judge then ordered Mr. Bovino, who took the stand in his usual green fatigues and Border Patrol insignia, to appear at the federal courthouse at the end of every weekday to personally provide her with a report on the day’s arrests and incidents.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at 6,” she said, before telling Mr. Bovino that he could get back to work.

The hearing offered Mr. Bovino few opportunities to broadly defend the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Chicago, which began in early September and has resulted in at least 3,000 arrests, according to the administration. Judge Ellis asked Mr. Bovino few detailed questions and did nearly all of the talking throughout the hearing, reminding Mr. Bovino of the particulars of the temporary restraining order she issued early this month limiting the use of tear gas.

Mr. Bovino answered some questions with a simple “Yes, ma’am.” Asked whether he was on the same page as the judge, he said, “I understand what you’re saying, your Honor,” and added, “We’re on the same page, that we will abide by the T.R.O.”

It has to feel pretty emasculating to be dressed like part of a G.I. Joe playset and have to stand there humbly as a judge scolds you like a child who is one cross word away from having to go outside and pick his own switch.

According to ABC 7, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the DHS filed additional court documents on Sunday and Monday to include more recent incidents, such as the one that ruined the Halloween festivities.

From ABC:

In a court filing Monday afternoon, the plaintiffs have alleged additional TRO violations in connection with Saturday’s incident.

The filing alleges that CBP agents “ruined what should have been an ordinary Saturday morning” in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, where children “were preparing for a Halloween parade.”

The plaintiffs allege that agents “unleashed violence, tackling at least three people” including one that they say is approximately 70 years old.

After the agents made arrests and were leaving the scene and “without any audible warning, agents deployed tear gas,” the plaintiffs allege.

The plaintiffs also claimed in another court filing Monday  that federal agents “used tear gas in a residential neighborhood multiple times and without warning” last Friday, “subjecting many people to significant risk and harm.” The filing refers to the aforementioned incident in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in which an agent is accused of tossing tear gas out of a vehicle while driving away.

“Without any verbal warning, and without any threat to the officers, an agent in the SUV going backwards threw a tear gas canister out of the window of the car directly at a group of people. Almost immediately after, what appears to be the same agent threw a second tear gas canister out of the vehicle window at the same group of residents in the street. As before, no warning was given before the second canister was deployed,” the filing states. The suit describes the crowd as being comprised of  “non-violent” people who were filming and blowing whistles at agents.

Meanwhile, the DHS has been sticking to the same old script, characterizing protesters as “rioters” — which it has done in cases where the protester in question wasn’t even accused of anything that would constitute rioting — and claiming federal agents are under attack.

In response to the new legal filings, DHS claims “rioters and terrorists have opened fire on officers, thrown rocks, bottles, and fireworks at them” and that “ICE officers are facing a nearly 1000% increase in assaults against them… as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members.”

Again, we have not been seeing evidence of “murderers, rapists, and gang members” being arrested en masse. What we do know is that the government’s own data shows most ICE detainees have no criminal record at all.

So, somebody’s lying.

It’s them — the government is lying.

SEE ALSO:

Federal Judge Rules ICE Must Wear Body Cameras In Chicago

Elected Officials Accosted By ICE In Chicago

Federal Judge Places Restrictions On ICE Arrests In Chicago