Federal judge orders ICE agents to wear body cameras during Chicago raids
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A federal judge has reportedly said he wants federal agents in the Chicago area to wear body cameras after a series of violent clashes with anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crowds.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, appointed by former President Barack Obama, said she was “a little surprised” by images of the shooting on television as the Trump administration continued its crackdown on illegal immigration.
“The field manager will explain to me why I saw footage of tear gas being fired and read reports that there was no warning on the field,” Ellis told the court this week. he said. New York Times.
Last week, Ellis ordered ICE agents to wear badges and banned them from using some riot control tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists. ICE agents reportedly used tear gas and took other measures as tensions between immigration officials and the public increased.
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People hold signs as they march during a demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the planned deployment of National Guard troops on September 9, 2025 in Chicago. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
“I get images and images on the news, in newspapers, I read reports that I have concerns that my orders are being followed,” Ellis said.
“I have concerns about my orders being followed,” the judge added this week, according to the Associated Press.
“I would add that all agents serving in Operation Midway Raid must wear body-worn cameras and be on,” Ellis said, referring to the name the government used for the raid.
Justice Department attorney Sean Skedzielewski characterized the crime as “one-sided and selectively edited media reporting,” according to the AP. He also said that it would not be possible to distribute the cameras immediately.
“I understand that. I don’t expect agents to wear body-worn cameras that they don’t have,” Ellis said, adding that the details could be worked out later.
He said the field director in charge of enforcement efforts was due in court Monday.
Police clash with demonstrators during a protest outside an immigration processing and detention center in Broadview, Illinois, on October 3, 2025. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, has been the site of several chaotic clashes between federal law enforcement and protesters.
The 8-foot fence surrounding the facility was removed Tuesday following an order from a different federal judge. FOX 32 Chicago. The fence was reportedly taken down late last month, causing tensions between federal and local authorities. According to FOX 32, the Broadview Fire Department reportedly notified DHS that the fence was built without a permit on a public street under the village’s jurisdiction.
Also Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that two illegal immigrants were detained after they crashed their vehicle into a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago. This led to clashes with protesters.
It was stated that the illegal immigrants were Venezuelan Luis Gerardo Pirela-Ramirez and Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez. A senior DHS source told Fox News that the two crashed into the Border Patrol vehicle and tried to flee the scene.
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“This morning, while conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, a vehicle driven by an illegal alien struck a Border Patrol vehicle and attempted to flee the scene,” a DHS spokesperson said. “Border Patrol pursued the vehicle and eventually were able to stop the vehicle using an authorized precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver. After the vehicle was stopped, the suspects, both illegal aliens, attempted to flee on foot. While Border Patrol attempted to apprehend the individuals and secure the scene, a crowd began to form and eventually turned hostile, and crowd control measures were eventually used.”
During a confrontation with protesters following the incident, federal officers used tear gas, exposing 13 Chicago police officers to a riot control officer at the scene.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker speaks at The Center for American Progress office in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 2025 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Many Democrats, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, have pushed back on the Trump administration’s immigration policies. President Donald Trump recently called for the arrest of Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for failing to protect federal ICE agents.
“I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of the elected representatives who check his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?” Reacting to Trump, Pritzker said on October 8: “We must all stand up and speak out.”
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Fox News Digital contacted Ellis’ office, which acknowledged the judge’s courtroom remarks but noted that a formal order requiring federal agents to wear body cameras has not yet been issued.
The White House declined to comment, saying it would need a full order to do so.
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
