Crime & Law

Appeals Court Rules Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino Does Not Have to Check In Every Day With Federal Judge

Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who led a series of raids across Chicago, Evanston and Skokie on Friday, does not have to report every weekday at 6 p.m. in person to the federal judge who has tried to rein in federal agents’ use of force.

The unsigned opinion from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the request from lawyers from the Trump administration to block U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis’ order that Bovino appear in her courtroom every weekday at 6 p.m. to recap the events of the day and inform her of any use of force.

Ellis’ order “infringes on the separation of powers,” the appeals court ruled.

Ellis’ order “puts the court in the position of an inquisitor rather than that of a neutral adjudicator,” according to the ruling.

It also sets up the court “as a supervisor of Chief Bovino’s activities, intruding into personnel management decisions of the executive branch.”

Ellis also ordered Bovino to obtain and wear a body-worn camera no later than Friday.

Ellis ordered lawyers for the government to submit all of the reports documenting when federal agents used force against members of the public, and all body-worn camera footage that captured those interactions, by Friday. Any future reports about force used by federal agents must be submitted to the court within 24 hours, Ellis ruled.

Ellis ordered the government to submit detailed information about every person detained or arrested for non-immigration offenses by Friday, and within 24 hours of future arrests.

Those reports and footage will not be made public, Ellis ruled.

Only the order that Bovino appear before Ellis daily was appealed by the Department of Justice.

Bovino led immigration enforcement raids across the Chicago area on Friday, including in Skokie, Evanston and in Edison Park, which is in the Far Northwest Side’s 41st Ward, the only Chicago ward President Donald Trump has ever won. In 2024, Trump won 54% of the vote in the 42st Ward, which is represented by Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward).

Immigration agents appeared to detain several workers who were repairing an Edison Park house, drawing protests from residents, according to social media posts.

Similar protests greeted Bovino and other agents in Evanston and Skokie, according to social media posts.

Evanston Police said they responded to a traffic crash caused by a private vehicle rear-ending a vehicle driven by federal agents near Oakton Street and Asbury Avenue.

“The crash led to a disturbance at the scene,” Evanston police said in a statement that indicated as many as three people were detained. Federal agents deployed pepper spray before police arrived, and paramedics treated people who were exposed to the chemical agent, according to the statement.

A video posted to social media showed an agent pointing a gun at a woman protesting the actions of the federal agents.

Evanston Township High School did not allow students to leave the building during the school day on Friday, and Chute Middle School in Evanston prevented anyone from leaving or entering the building from 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. due to the presence of immigration agents, officials told parents.

Mayor Daniel Biss, who is running to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, “personally witnessed one abduction on Evanston’s south side,” according to a statement from his campaign spokesperson.

“What federal agents are doing in Evanston right now is monstrous,” Biss said. “On Halloween, when our families are supposed to be out enjoying the very best of our community, ICE and CBP are terrorizing Evanston and the northern suburbs while instilling fear across the Chicagoland area. This is despicable behavior, and everyone involved should be ashamed.”

Gov. JB Pritzker this week asked federal officials to halt what the Trump administration is calling “Operation Midway Blitz” through Sunday to allow children to celebrate Halloween. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem refused that request.

Federal agents detained at least three people Friday morning in Albany Park. Bovino was not present during that incident.

Federal agents deployed tear gas against a crowd of protesters in Albany Park on Oct. 12.

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd Ward) told Block Club Chicago agents pushed her when she attempted to prevent them from detaining a man.

As a crowd gathered to protest, agents warned they would use tear gas if the crowd did not disperse. Instead, they fired pepper balls at the ground near demonstrators before Chicago police arrived and cleared the roadway, allowing the vehicles with agents and detainees to leave, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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