(NewsNation) — A judge in Illinois ordered federal officers to wear body cameras during immigration operations, citing growing concerns over clashes with protesters.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued the order Thursday, saying she was startled by reports that agents used tear gas during confrontations with the public. The ruling followed a viral video showing federal agents deploying tear gas on crowds Tuesday. Ellis said she was “profoundly concerned” the agents had violated her order from last week, which required them to wear visible badges and banned certain crowd-control tactics.
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Ellis said she now wants all Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” to wear body cameras and keep them activated during operations.
A Justice Department attorney said not all officers are equipped with cameras and that the ongoing government shutdown would make it difficult to comply.
The judge also ordered Chicago’s ICE field director to appear in court Monday to explain how the agency will comply with the ruling.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has spoken out against the deployment of federal agents to the state, celebrated Thursday’s ruling.
“The idea that there’s any justification for people tossing tear gas in the context of people’s protests, I think the judge reacted to that properly by ordering that now the federal agents are required to have body cameras on them because they clearly lie about what goes on,” Pritzker said.
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Last year, ICE began deploying about 1,600 body cameras to officers involved in enforcement and removal operations. Other Homeland Security agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, already require some agents to wear cameras.
Another weekend of protests is planned outside an ICE processing facility in suburban Chicago. The location in Broadview, Illinois, has been the site of frequent — and at times, violent — clashes between federal agents and protesters.
As of Friday morning, there was no protest barrier outside the facility. Police told NewsNation they were counting on the new body camera requirement and tighter crowd restrictions from the village mayor to help keep tensions under control.
