A federal appeals court upheld a ruling last week by U.S. Judge April M. Perry barring the deployment of National Guard units in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois. The 7th Circuit panel of three judges—who had been appointed by George H.W. Bush, Obama, and Trump—ruled that there is no “rebellion or danger of rebellion” in the state, stating that protests against federal immigration policies do not justify national guard troop deployment.
Separately, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis warned that federal authorities in Chicago may have violated her Oct. 9 order barring them from using tear gas on journalists and protesters who did not pose an immediate threat. She ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field chief Russell Hott to appear in court and signaled plans to require body cameras for all agents in Chicago’s “Midway Blitz” operation.
In a third case in Chicago, Customs and Border Patrol shot Marimar Martinez on Oct. 4 after she allegedly rammed her car into a vehicle used for immigration enforcement. Martinez maintains that it was she who was rammed. The federal vehicle involved in the incident has been driven 1,100 miles away, to Maine. Judge Georgia Alexakis ordered the federal vehicle and any other evidence in the case to be returned to Chicago.
