The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago also sued the Trump administration, alleging in a lawsuit filed Monday that the Department of Homeland Security has been “causing unrest and imposing a climate of fear.”
The 103-page complaint alleges that Border Patrol agents were ordered to “go above and beyond” in immigration enforcement and “have acted as occupiers rather than law enforcement officers: randomly and brutally detaining and interrogating residents, separating parents from their children, detaining citizens and non-citizens alike without a warrant or probable cause, and using tear gas and other chemical weapons in urban settings against bystanders.” unsuspecting, injuring dozens, including children, the elderly and local police officers.
Border Patrol agents depart after detaining a man working near Frederick Stock Public School during immigration enforcement operations, Oct. 31, 2025, in Chicago.
Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The state and city allege that the Border Patrol deployment has had “catastrophic” results and is a violation of the 10th Amendment. The lawsuit further alleges that the “walk-around” enforcement policy is a burden on Illinoisans and that biometric checks have been used to target members of the public in violation of the Illinois constitution.
The lawsuit asks a judge to prohibit the Border Patrol from conducting civil immigration checks in Illinois and implementing biometric checks and roaming checks, among other tactics.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
