Judge Ellis Questions Federal Opposition to Daily Meetings with Border Patrol Chief

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis expressed surprise at the federal government's opposition to her daily meetings with U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, particularly following his public statements supporting the arrangement. This development occurred after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted these meetings.

During a courtroom session, Ellis referenced Bovino's recent interview on Fox News, where he indicated his willingness to participate in the court proceedings without hindering his operational duties. Ellis remarked, "I did see Mr. Bovino’s interview on Fox News today, where he did state that he was excited to come to court and that this would not impede his activities or his ability to manage the operation at all." She added, "So I was a little surprised just to see that the government’s position ... was directly contradicted by Mr. Bovino."

The appeals court has requested additional briefings on the matter by the end of Thursday. Meanwhile, Bovino is scheduled for a closed-door deposition at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, which may last up to five hours.

Ellis is overseeing a lawsuit concerning the federal government's treatment of protesters and journalists during "Operation Midway Blitz," an immigration enforcement initiative in Chicago. The lawsuit, filed by media organizations including the Chicago Headline Club and Block Club Chicago, challenges the use of force by federal agents. Earlier this month, Ellis issued a temporary restraining order limiting the use of riot control weapons by federal agents. Subsequently, attorneys accused Bovino of personally deploying tear gas into a crowd in Little Village without justification. The Department of Homeland Security stated that agents faced threats from "hostile" crowd members and had issued warnings before using riot control measures.

Ellis emphasized that her decisions are based solely on evidence presented in the case, stating, "I do want to note that, certainly, any decision that I made to monitor the effectiveness and compliance of the [temporary restraining order] that I entered was based solely on the evidence submitted in this case." She added, "It was not, as the government asserts, based on anything outside of the record."