‘Not how any of us want to live’: Judge orders Border Patrol boss Bovino to court daily to report use of force

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/28/judge-to-question-bovino-tear-gas/?share=ue2tbvoahugoejsamonu

During a remarkable hourlong session with Bovino on the witness stand Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis instructed the 30-year border patrol veteran to get his own body-worn camera and send her every use-of-force report — and accompanying body-cam footage — filed since “Operation Midway Blitz” began nearly two months ago.

While she stopped short of finding any specific violations had occurred, Ellis ordered Bovino to appear before her in open court at 5:45 p.m. each weekday to go over any uses of force from that day. The appearances would be required until at least Nov. 5, when Ellis is scheduled to hold a full hearing on a preliminary injunction.

The judge said that since she’s sure Bovino would not simply ignore a court order, the only explanation for what she’s been seeing on videos sent to her by the plaintiffs is that her order is simply not clear enough. “So I thought it would be a really good idea to go through it so that we are on the same page,” she said.

288 points · 19 comments · view on lemmy.world

19 Comments

leadore@lemmy.world · 78 pts · 292d

Thank you, Judge Ellis, and please stay safe.

teft@piefed.social · 63 pts · 292d (12 replies)

The judge said that since she’s sure Bovino would not simply ignore a court order

I'm pretty sure he would.

Triumph@fedia.io · 67 pts · 292d (6 replies)

That’s why the judge’s statement had all that sarcasm dripping from it.

Triasha@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 292d

Sarcasm, the one great weakness of Nazis.

Eheran@lemmy.world · -13 pts · 292d (4 replies)

Better talk to him some more then, that will surely fix things.

leadore@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 292d

He has to report to the judge every day at 5:45 and go over every use of force that day, along with providing the body cam footage, and her ruling will depend on what happened not violating her orders. THAT is what will fix things.

The whole article is really good. She made it very clear she's not going to let him get away with his shit.

Triumph@fedia.io · 13 pts · 292d (2 replies)

The fuck else you expect a judge to do here?

frongt@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 291d (1 reply)

Send marshals and hold him in contempt.

ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 291d

Deputized every citizen of Chicago to arrest every ICE agent in town by any means necessary. (Yes, judges can do that BTW.)

WHARRGARBL@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 292d (3 replies)

[ removed ]

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 32 pts · 292d

If I was the judge, I'd wait for him to miss Wednesday's, Thursday's, and Friday's 5:45 PM meetings, then issue an arrest warrant and have him hauled to jail on Friday evening, where he can stew until he can be arraigned on Monday morning.

Or maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.

andros_rex@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 291d (1 reply)

Did judge Ellis get hit in the head by a rock this morning? Maybe she needs to see what that’s like before she gives an order like that.

If anyone else said that, it would be considered a threat and the fucking hammer of law would be dropped on them.

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 291d

Citation needed.

leadore@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 292d

The judge was being sarcastic.

pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 16 pts · 292d (4 replies)

Bovino, who previously had served a similar role in a crackdown in Los Angeles, is the public face of “Operation Midway Blitz,” the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration-enforcement blitz.

Sporting a high-and-tight haircut and talking often in militaristic terms, Bovino has been featured in slickly produced social media videos put out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security purporting to be ridding Chicago’s streets of the “worst of the worst,” undocumented immigrants who have a history of violent criminal behavior.

But scant details on those arrested have been officially released, and critics say the vast majority have had no criminal backgrounds whatsoever.

The video is a little satisfying. Chicago is awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjR5xZYoi_w

Not as satisfying as the Wheeling, IL video in the comments, below the video of the woman flipping the bird: https://bsky.app/profile/youranoncentral.bsky.social/post/3m3tikewhgk27

Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 291d

What about that cop at 40 seconds in the first video? Putting together a list of people to have a "random" stop?

leadore@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 292d (2 replies)

Thanks, that's amazing.

pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 292d (1 reply)

I'm assuming you're talking about the Wheeling, IL video. YW, it's perfect for anyone that needs a pick-me-up.

leadore@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 292d

Yep! I watched it multiple times. It both makes me feel good and makes me cry at the same time.

Wilco@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 291d

This is not a judge ... this is a modern day paladin.