A senior U.S. Border Patrol official has been accused of defying a federal court order restricting the use of tear gas during protests against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Chicago. In a court filing, protesters, journalists, and clergy members claimed that Gregory Bovino, commander of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations in the city, deployed tear gas without issuing the mandated warning. They supported their allegation with photographs and a Facebook video allegedly showing Bovino throwing tear gas at protesters in the predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Little Village.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the allegations. The filing urges U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis to intervene, warning that federal agents continue to disregard her directives. Judge Ellis’ October 9 order explicitly limited the use of anti-riot measures like tear gas and pepper balls and required agents to display clear identification. The judge recently mandated that officers activate body cameras during immigration enforcement actions.
The confrontation occurred amid “Operation Midway Blitz,” President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation initiative that has led to multiple arrests and sparked widespread demonstrations across Chicago. Federal agents, backed by National Guard troops, clashed with protesters for nearly an hour before Chicago police intervened. This marks the fifth instance of tear gas deployment in the city’s neighborhoods.
At a recent hearing, senior CBP and ICE officials, Kyle Harvick and Shawn Byers, defended agents’ conduct, insisting that Ellis’ order had been widely communicated. However, community groups argue that repeated violations show systemic disregard for judicial oversight. The protesters’ lawsuit, filed earlier this month, accuses Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and other federal officials of deliberately targeting and assaulting demonstrators.