A federal judge ruled on Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers must wear body cameras to document their operations in Chicago.
The ruling comes as violent protesters clash with federal immigration authorities in Illinois.
United States District Judge Sara Ellis determined that body cameras are necessary to capture how federal officers handle anti-ICE protests in the wake of criticism from Democrats and journalists.
Last week, Ellis ruled federal authorities in the Chicago area must wear badges and temporarily barred officers from using certain techniques to quell riots. Tear gas and rubber bullets, among other methods, are often used for crowd control at these scenes. The required body camera footage would help determine whether officials are giving two verbal warnings before employing such methods, as previously ordered by Ellis.
The judge said she called Thursday’s court hearing after seeing tear gas used to control a protest on the Southeast Side of Chicago earlier this week.
“I’m getting images and seeing images on the news, in the paper, reading reports where I’m having concerns about my order being followed,” she said in court.
In addition to requiring body cameras, Judge Ellis ordered Chicago ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott to testify in court on Monday. He is expected to answer questions about various incidents, where alleged violations of the judge’s previous order have occurred.
Despite the court orders and overall backlash, ICE is proceeding with Operation Midway Blitz to detain illegal immigrants in Chicago and the rest of Illinois for deportation. Since the Department of Homeland Security launched the operation last month, there have been a number of incidents in which officers have been attacked.
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In one instance earlier this month, immigration officers were rammed and boxed in by several vehicles. One of the alleged attackers was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. She was shot as a result but survived.
The woman named Marimar Martinez has since been charged with assault and attempted murder of a federal employee for her alleged involvement in the ambush. She pleaded not guilty.
