Federal Appeals Court Halts Restrictions on Immigration Agents' Force in Chicago
A federal appeals court temporarily halted an order restricting federal immigration agents' use of force in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz, calling the injunction 'overbroad'.
Overview
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis initially issued a preliminary injunction, aiming to restrict the use of force by federal immigration agents operating in the Chicago area.
This injunction stemmed from a lawsuit brought by news outlets and protesters, challenging the agents' conduct during the specific enforcement action known as Operation Midway Blitz.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently intervened, temporarily halting Judge Ellis's order and pausing the imposed restrictions on immigration agents.
The appeals court justified its decision by criticizing the original injunction as "overbroad" and "too prescriptive" in its scope and application.
Consequently, federal immigration agents in the Chicago area are currently not subject to the court-ordered limitations on their use of force during ongoing operations.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover this story neutrally by presenting the legal developments without editorial bias. They focus on reporting the facts of the appeals court's decision to halt a lower court's order, detailing both rulings and attributing all strong language to the judges involved. This approach ensures a balanced presentation of the judicial process.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The original injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis aimed to restrict the use of force by federal immigration agents operating in the Chicago area during Operation Midway Blitz.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals halted the injunction because it found the order to be 'overbroad' and 'too prescriptive' in its scope and application, warranting a temporary halt of the restrictions on immigration agents' use of force.
Operation Midway Blitz is an ICE operation conducted in and around Chicago starting in September 2025 to arrest illegal immigrants with criminal records. The operation included raids such as a late-night helicopter insertion into a South Shore neighborhood, and involved arrests of hundreds of individuals including migrant truck drivers without documentation.
Legal issues included a ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings that ICE agents conducted illegal warrantless arrests of 22 people in Chicago, violating the Castañon Nava consent decree which bans warrantless arrests without probable cause of flight risk. The judge ordered reimbursements for bond payments and monitoring of arrests.
Judge Sara Ellis ordered ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott to appear in court regarding violations of the court order related to ICE's use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and other crowd-control methods in Chicago, and to address an ICE-caused vehicle collision during a car chase in the East Side neighborhood in October 2025.
History
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