A federal judge in Illinois has expressed deep concern over the Trump administration's compliance with her order to prevent violent encounters with Chicago protesters and journalists. Judge Sara Ellis, an Obama appointee, issued a temporary restraining order last week after a coalition of local journalists and protesters sued the administration, alleging federal law enforcement agents were targeting peaceful individuals, including multiple reporters who reported being pepper-balled despite their press identification. Since then, there have been incidents where agents allegedly failed to adhere to the order, such as a confrontation on Chicago's southeast side following a traffic accident involving the US Border Patrol. Ellis has now mandated that all federal agents with body cameras wear them during encounters with immigration protesters, citing the cameras' ability to capture events before they escalate. However, the Department of Justice argues that recording and reviewing body cam videos for every allegation is a resource-intensive task. The judge also demanded the field director of Operation Midway Blitz appear in court to address concerns about tear gas deployment without warnings. The original restraining order prohibits agents from targeting non-interfering journalists and using tear gas or less-lethal munitions on individuals who do not pose an immediate safety threat. Despite these measures, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker remains unconvinced that the order is being followed, criticizing ICE for causing mayhem and deploying tear gas during peaceful protests. This comes as a separate federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago, which the administration is appealing. The story continues to develop, with updates expected.
