Federal Judge Orders ICE Chicago Director to Court Over Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets Violations

Federal Judge Thomas M. Ellis ordered Chicago ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott to appear in court to answer for violations of a court order prohibiting the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and other crowd-control methods against civilians in the Chicago area during Operation Midway Blitz. The unusual order demonstrated the judiciary pushing back against aggressive federal enforcement tactics that had drawn widespread criticism for targeting immigrant communities with military-style crowd control measures.