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federal immigration officer chicago U.S. District Judge Sarah Ellis on Thursday said she would require the wearing of body cameras in the field, after witnessing the use of tear gas and other aggressive measures against protesters. Community efforts to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have intensified in the nation’s third-largest city, with neighborhood groups gathering to monitor ICE activity and film incidents involving agents. More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since September.
Separately, President Donald Trump’s administration has tried to deploy National Guard troops, but the strategy was blocked by a different judge last week.
Ellis said last week that agents in the field will have to wear badges, and he has banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. “I am concerned about compliance with my order,” the judge said.
US Justice Department lawyer Sean Skadzilewski blamed “one-sided and selectively edited media reports”. He also said that it would not be possible to distribute the cameras immediately.
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Judge permanently blocks Trump administration from blocking $34 million to protect New York’s transportation system from terrorist attacks
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a ruling Thursday that the Republican administration’s decision to block funding earmarked for the Big Apple’s “sanctuary city” protections for illegal immigrants was “arbitrary, capricious and a flagrant violation of the law.”
The transit security grant program was created after 9/11 with the directive that funds should be allocated only based on terrorism risk, Kaplan said. The judge had earlier issued an order temporarily halting the move.
The state sued Department of Homeland Security Last month it said it was eliminating funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s transit system.
The MTA said its allocation, the largest of any transit agency, pays for targeted anti-terrorism patrols, security equipment, infrastructure enhancements, cybersecurity technology and weapon detection technologies.
Crowdsourcing fund launched to provide free legal representation to immigrants
A new initiative launched Thursday aims to provide immigrants free access to lawyers by donating money to legal service providers working in legal deserts, areas near U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, or communities with large immigrant populations.
The Defending Our Neighbors Fund, created by the American Civil Liberties Union, United We Dream and Abundant Futures Fund, aims to raise $30 million. It had already raised $10 million before its public launch.
The money will go to nonprofit legal service providers who have seen their budgets cut, such as providing representation for unaccompanied child immigrants.
“So a lawyer could mean keeping another family whole. A fund could mean protecting another future,” said Grisa Martínez-Rosas, executive director of United We Dream.
Trump says he is talking to Putin on the phone right now
The US President wrote on his social media site that he is talking on the phone to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
“I am talking to President Putin right now. The conversation is ongoing, long, and I will report the materials at its conclusion, as will President Putin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said on Truth Social late Thursday morning.
The call comes ahead of Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday. Ukrainian leaders are pressing Trump to sell Kiev Tomahawk missiles, which would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory.
Details of bodycams for Chicago-area immigration agents to be discussed Monday
In response to a federal judge saying he would require immigration agents in the Chicago area to wear body cameras, a lawyer for the federal government said they do not have body cameras.
Sean Skadzilewski also said the Department of Homeland Security has limited resources to immediately hand them over.
U.S. District Judge Sarah Ellis responded: “I understand that. I wouldn’t expect agents to wear body worn cameras that they don’t have to.”
He said details could be worked out from an additional hearing on Monday.
Home democrat Says AG Pam Bondi’s response to Epstein subpoena has been ‘grossly inadequate’
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Representative Robert Garcia, is sending a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi criticizing the Justice Department’s handling of a congressional subpoena for files investigating the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“Your response to our bipartisan subpoena has been completely inadequate,” Garcia writes. “The sole production of documents by DOJ consisted almost entirely of documents that were either already public or in the Committee’s possession.”
Garcia said the Justice Department has not turned over any documents since Aug. 22.
Speaker of the House mike johnson He has repeatedly pointed to the House Oversight Committee investigation as he tries to block an effort to force a vote on a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release the files.
Judge dismisses defamation suit filed by IRS agents against Hunter Biden’s lawyer
A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by two IRS agents against an attorney for Hunter Biden.
Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler allege in their complaint in federal court in Washington, DC, that lawyer Abbey Lowell defamed them when they complained about the leak of grand jury information about the tax crimes investigation into Biden, who is the son of President Joe Biden.
But U.S. District Judge Richard Lyons dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday, saying, among other things, that the statements at issue are constitutionally protected opinions and that the plaintiffs failed to show that Lowell acted with actual malice.
Johnson said he wants to return as ‘Happy Mike’
House Speaker Mike Johnson ended his press conference Thursday on the federal government shutdown looking a little angry but quickly composed himself.
“I don’t like to be mad, Mike. I want to be happy, Mike,” Johnson said, causing colleagues and reporters in the room to laugh. “I want to be a happy warrior, but I’m so sick of this. God bless America. We’re done.”
Johnson says he has ‘no idea’ how the shutdown will end
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he didn’t know how to answer the frequently asked question by reporters. How will the federal government shutdown end?
“We have no idea,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s comments came as he began the daily news conference, which congressional leaders from both parties are holding as an effort to gauge public opinion on the shutdown that began Oct. 1.
The comments highlight the lack of progress made in resolving the impasse. Johnson said Democrats “have offered no common sense path to end this situation.”
Judge criticizes Border Patrol for high-speed chase through Chicago neighborhood
At Thursday’s federal court hearing, Judge Sarah L. Ellis also raised concerns about a high-speed car chase on Chicago’s South Side on Tuesday, as Border Patrol agents pursued a driver before using tear gas on protesters and residents gathering in a residential neighborhood.
He said that while some agents may be accustomed to working on the U.S.-Mexico border, Chicago is an “urban, densely populated area, where proper crowd control is important, where trying to apprehend people is very different.”
“I have to tell you that the Chicago Police Department has policies regarding car chases and where they occur and when you need to stop,” he said.
Judge demands bodycams, accuses immigration officials of not following order banning tear gas
A federal judge said Thursday that he will require immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras. He also said they did not follow his previous order prohibiting the use of tear gas and other weapons on peaceful protesters and journalists.
U.S. District Judge Sarah L. Ellis in Chicago said she was “deeply concerned” about reports of tear gas use since her previous ruling last week. That decision also required federal agents to wear badges.
“I’m not happy,” Alice said. “I’m really not happy.”
Ellis demanded that the field director of the operation appear in court on Monday. He cited instances where news outlets reported that tear gas was deployed without warning people and photos of federal agents in plainclothes carrying out immigration operations without their alphanumeric identifiers.
“If people haven’t noticed, I live in Chicago,” she said. “And I’m not blind.”
Federal government lawyer Shawn Skadzilewski blamed “one-sided and selectively edited media reports”.
What a new poll shows about Americans’ views on the shutdown
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows most people view it as a significant problem as it stretches into its third week with no end in sight. And the Americans are blaming all the major players involved.
The survey shows that roughly 6 in 10 Americans say Trump and Republicans in Congress bear “a great deal” or “a great deal” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress.
“Trump is blaming the Democrats and the Democrats are blaming the Republicans,” said Jason Beck, a Republican from Utah. “We are stuck because there is no middle ground anymore.”
The survey also found that more Americans support rather than oppose increasing health insurance subsidies, which Democrats are demanding to end the impasse. A large share, 42%, have no opinion, suggesting that many people are not following the original controversy closely.
US cruise ship operator says it is avoiding China due to retaliatory port charges
Miami-based Oceania Cruises, which is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, told The Associated Press on Thursday they are now “modifying select itineraries” in Asia and replacing port calls in mainland China because China imposed new port fees on U.S.-owned or operated ships that went into effect this week.
China imposed tit-for-tat fees in retaliation for similar port fees that the US imposed on Chinese owned or operated ships docking in the US, requiring US ships to pay a 400 yuan ($56) per net ton fee for each voyage if they stop at Chinese ports.
“Ships can no longer effectively call on mainland Chinese ports,” an Oceania Cruises spokesperson said in a statement Thursday.
An Oceania Cruises spokesperson said, “We share the disappointment of these necessary changes and are committed to providing our guests with itineraries that offer exceptional destination experiences.”