In yet another display of judicial overreach and liberal bias, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis — an Obama appointee — publicly scolded Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino for doing his job: enforcing federal immigration law. Bovino, the man overseeing “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago, is now being forced to give *daily updates* to the court after left-wing activists accused him of being “too aggressive” when he used tear gas to disperse a violent mob that attacked him and his agents with rocks.
The so-called controversy erupted after an October confrontation in which pro-illegal immigration demonstrators tried to obstruct federal officers near a Chicago ICE detention facility. When the situation turned violent — with rioters throwing rocks, bottles, and debris — Bovino deployed tear gas to restore order and protect his men. For anyone with common sense, this was a clear case of self-defense. But in modern, Democrat-run Chicago, law and order take a back seat to political theater.
Bovino appeared in court Tuesday before Judge Ellis at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, where the Obama-appointed judge grilled him over “aggressive enforcement,” his use of tear gas, and even how his agents handled journalists and children during the chaos. The hearing was part of a lawsuit filed by left-leaning media outlets claiming federal agents violated a court order restricting the use of “riot control” measures — even when attacked.
“They don’t have to like what you’re doing. That’s what democracy is,” Ellis told Bovino, in one of her more patronizing lectures. “They can say they don’t like what you’re doing… But they can’t get tear-gassed for it.”
What the judge conveniently ignored was that Bovino *didn’t* gas peaceful protesters — he responded to a violent assault. Rocks, not rhetoric, were flying that night. The media, of course, left out that critical detail.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump — who has championed law enforcement and cracked down on sanctuary cities — signaled that he’s had enough of the chaos in Democrat-run cities. “We’re going to send more than the National Guard if we have to,” Trump reportedly told aides, referring to Chicago’s out-of-control crime and anti-police sentiment.
Judge Ellis, however, took a very different tone. Instead of condemning the rioters or recognizing the dangers Bovino’s agents face, she decided to *micromanage* Border Patrol operations from the bench. She ordered Bovino to personally report to her every weekday at 6 p.m. with updates on “immigration enforcement activities.”
“My role is simply to see that enforcement of those laws is done in a manner consistent with your obligations under the law,” Ellis lectured. Translation: the judge plans to interfere at every step.
The judge also warned Bovino to “leave journalists alone” and “let them do their job,” despite the fact that many so-called journalists embedded with the protests have been caught obstructing law enforcement and spreading false narratives online. Bovino remained professional, replying, “We’re on the same page.”
Outside the courthouse, a predictable crowd of left-wing activists gathered with signs reading “Stop ICE Brutality” and “Judge Sara Ellis Is a Boss” — a fitting encapsulation of how today’s “protest movements” have devolved into coordinated efforts to shield illegal immigrants and demonize those enforcing the law.
Inside, Ellis leaned on emotional anecdotes, reading from unverified “reports” that agents supposedly tear-gassed children on Halloween night. “Kids were tear-gassed on their way to celebrate Halloween,” Ellis said dramatically. “You can imagine their sense of safety was shattered.”
Of course, there’s no evidence to support this claim — only activist accounts that conveniently emerged weeks after the alleged incident.
When given a chance to respond, Bovino pushed back respectfully. “Your Honor, I believe each situation is dependent on the circumstances. I’d like to know more about what happened,” he said. His measured, professional tone stood in stark contrast to the judge’s emotional grandstanding.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs demanded an outright ban on the use of tear gas — effectively asking the court to strip federal agents of one of their most basic defensive tools. While Ellis didn’t grant that request (at least not yet), she did threaten to revoke the Border Patrol’s authority to use tear gas if she doesn’t “like” the justifications for its use.
“If agents are using tear gas, they better be able to back it up,” she warned. “And if they can’t, then they will lose that as something they can use.”
The judge even took it upon herself to dictate uniform policy, ordering Bovino to have his officers wear two visible ID patches and to personally wear a body camera — something no federal judge has ever demanded of a Border Patrol chief. “The camera is your friend,” Ellis said. “How about by Friday you get one for yourself?” Bovino, maintaining his composure, replied, “We can get that.”
Critics argue that this entire saga is just another example of liberal courts undermining law enforcement while emboldening mobs. Chicago — a city plagued by decades of Democratic mismanagement, record-high crime, and widespread corruption — is the last place one would expect to see sympathy for federal agents trying to enforce immigration law. But under progressive rule, **lawbreakers are coddled, while law enforcement is treated like the enemy.**
Gregory Bovino is a decorated officer who has spent decades protecting America’s borders. Now he’s being dragged through the mud for doing his job in a city that rewards chaos and punishes courage.
As one Border Patrol insider put it after the hearing: “If a mob throws rocks at you and the courts say you can’t use tear gas, what’s next — are we supposed to hand them water bottles?”
In Biden’s America — and certainly in Chicago’s — that’s not a rhetorical question anymore. It’s reality.
