Mark Rivera ABC7

@cwebbonline Full story here: abc7chicago.com/post/operation…

Wait! The public face of nationwide immigration enforcement, Gregory Bovino, said in a newly discovered email that his boss wasn’t the head of CBP. He reported to Corey Lewandowski instead. Lewandowski is a political operative with zero law-enforcement background calling the shots on immigration enforcement.

An excellent report from the @ABC7Chicago I-Team and @MarkRiveraABC7 about the similarities between today's DHS statements and statements made after a shooting in Chicago last fall:

Judge orders CBP Chief Bovino to meet with her every day on immigration operations in Chicago

Adjourned.

If not, she is indicating she will rule to prohibit tear gas use completely.

Ellis continuing request by plaintiffs on their request to modify the TRO to prohibit use of tear gas completely. Ellis not going that far today but not ruling on it until she gets more data from CBP and Plaintiffs. She says if tear gas is used there needs to be viable reason.

Ellis: I do not want to get violations from the plaintiffs that agents are out and about on Halloween where kids are present where tear gas is being deployed or pepper balls are being deployed. I expect everybody to act reasonably.

Ellis: If they can’t back up use of tear gas, they will lose that as something they can use.

Ellis: I know my lane. And I will stay in my lane. But I am also not afraid to enforce this TRO. I am going to expect that they know and understand their responsibility in terms of use of force. And if they are using tear gas, they better be able to back it up.

Ellis: There are multiple videos taken by the public that seem to show the same thing. It’s not like they’re doctored. Multiple videos from multiple people showing the same thing. I have real concerns which is why Mr. Bovino was here today.

Ellis: I come at this expecting that everyone acts in good faith.

Ellis: I don’t know that we’re going to see a whole lot of tear gas deployed.

Ellis: Bovino understands where I’m coming from and his obligations as commander of Operation Midway Blitz and also what his agents are allowed to do and not allowed to do and the importance of documentation to back that up.

Plaintiffs: We have not seen any document, any evidence, any report to back up what they say is happening in the incidents where force is used.

Plaintiffs: Agents are proactively deploying tear gas, inciting violence, and then using that as justification for more force.

Plaintiffs: We cannot imagine how banning the use of tear gas against a civilian population will create more harm. There is no exigency at all.

Govt Lawyers arguing tear gas is used only in exigent circumstances. “What plaintiffs are requesting is dangerous.”

Govt Lawyers: The use of tear gas allows agents to leave highly volatile situations…so that more lethal remedies are not used.

Ellis: As for the request to modify the TRO to prevent the use of tear gas… Oral arguments starting.

Ellis to Govt Lawyers: I have serious questions about whether my TRO is being followed.