(NewsNation) — Demonstrators gathered peacefully outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility near Chicago, Friday, marking a dramatic shift in the tone of interactions between protesters and federal agents.
Police outside the facility in Broadview, Illinois, told protesters on Friday they could enter the designated protest zone early if they did not enter the streets. Officers warned that anyone who did so would face arrest. In recent weeks, demonstrators and federal agents have clashed violently at times over ICE operations in and around the city.
Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol official, is accused of violating a federal judge’s temporary restraining order by deploying tear gas. Under the order, federal agents are not supposed to use riot control methods like tear gas unless there is an imminent threat. However, a new video appears to show Bovino tossing a can of tear gas into a crowd of protesters in Chicago. Attorneys representing the protestors, journalists and clergy members say this video shows Bovino and agents disobey the TRO. Community members say a warning was never given.
Department of Homeland Security officials said that Bovino threw the canister of tear gas after protesters in Little Village became violent and threw rocks, fireworks and other objects at agents. A spokeswoman said Bovino was struck in the head with a rock.
“What we’ve seen this past week has been an escalation from ICE in the city,” Jackie Birov, a protester, told NewsNation. “We’ve seen them violate the TRO. We saw Greg Bovino himself throw a tear gas canister at people in Little Village yesterday. They’ve arrested multiple U.S. citizens; they’ve arrested high school students.”
Elsewhere in the city, protesters were seen demonstrating after federal agents and officers were spotted in the majority-Hispanic neighborhood of Little Village this week. At least six people were detained on Thursday. Chicago police responded to multiple 911 calls, including some from federal agents needing assistance. One person was arrested for allegedly battering a Chicago police officer. Community members say two students on their way to school were detained and allegedly assaulted by federal agents.
“What they did is illegal, they attacked. They detained him over what,” Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez said. “There is no charges, so we want to understand why they go detained to begin with.”
Community members and faith leaders are now calling for answers.
“We have U.S. citizens being picked up we have minors being picked up so this is absolutely wrong,” Dr. Emma Lozano, a pastor said.
Judge Sara Ellis has requested to see the body camera footage from the incidents on Wednesday and Thursday as part of Bovino’s deposition and has reminded federal agents to preserve their body camera video.
Meanwhile, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker has created an accountability commission to document and examine what’s happening with Operation Midway Blitz, accusing federal agents of quote a dangerous abuse of power. Pritzker wants the people of Illinois to record everything and post it on social media.
The Department of Homeland Security responded in a statement writing, “Once again, Governor Pritzker continues to smear law enforcement who simply enforcing the rule of law and are putting their lives on the line to remove violent criminals from Illinois because JB Pritzker refuses to do his job.”
Pritzker says a report from the commission will be issued in January.