CHICAGO (AP) — Many federal officers assigned to immigration enforcement in the Chicago area have body cameras, but Congress would have to allocate more funds to expand their use, officials testified Monday at a hearing about the tactics agents are using in Trump administration’s crackdown, which has produced more than 1,000 arrests. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis last week ordered uniformed agents to wear cameras, if available, and turn them on when engaged in arrests, frisks, and building searches or when being deployed to protests. She held a hearing Monday at which she questioned a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official and a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement official about the operation and complaints that agents are increasingly using combative tactics. Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander with CBP, reported that Border Patrol agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz have cameras, with 201 currently in the Chicago area. However, Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for ICE, mentioned that without additional congressional funding, usage can’t expand beyond two field offices. This includes areas like a building in Broadview, outside Chicago, where immigrants pass through before being detained, which has seen recent protests. The hearing was part of a lawsuit by news organizations and community groups focusing on the protests and arrests in the Chicago area. Judge Ellis has made it clear that agents must wear badges and restricted their use of certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. As tensions rise, the continued scrutiny on immigration enforcement tactics in Chicago remains crucial.
Body Cameras for Immigration Agents in Chicago: A Controversy

Body Cameras for Immigration Agents in Chicago: A Controversy
In a recent court hearing, it was revealed that while many immigration enforcement officers in Chicago have body cameras, funding is needed to expand their use amid rising complaints about agent tactics.
During a court hearing, Judge Sara Ellis mandated that immigration agents in Chicago must wear body cameras during arrests and confrontations. However, funding remains an obstacle for the wider implementation of this technology. Agents have faced scrutiny over their use of aggressive tactics at protests, particularly in light of numerous recent arrests. The judge, concerned about the agents' methods, plans to allow further questioning of federal officials, aiming for greater transparency in immigration enforcement practices.