In an extraordinary and controversial move, a federal judge has inserted herself into the daily operations of immigration enforcement in Chicago—signaling a new level of judicial oversight over executive immigration powers.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, appointed by former President Barack Obama, has ordered Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino to report to her daily regarding federal immigration enforcement activities in the Windy City. The directive follows intensified federal raids under “Operation Midway Blitz,” a Trump-era initiative aimed at arresting and removing illegal immigrants with criminal records—especially in sanctuary cities like Chicago.
“Mr. Bovino’s going to be here every day at 6 to tell me what happened,” Judge Ellis declared, according to Politico. Her language was sharp, yet notably restrained in principle: “My role is not to tell you that you can or cannot enforce validly passed laws by Congress… My role is simply to see that any enforcement of those laws is done in a manner that is consistent with your obligations under the law.”
Still, the precedent is seismic.
It’s rare—perhaps unprecedented—for a federal judge to effectively insert herself as a daily overseer of an active law enforcement operation. Even former federal prosecutors have acknowledged the irregularity. Phillip Turner, a veteran legal voice in Chicago, told the Associated Press, “I’ve been a lawyer for almost 50 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The Trump administration’s crackdown, which began in September, represents a deliberate focus on sanctuary jurisdictions like Chicago. After similar operations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., the administration shifted resources to Illinois, where local policies have often impeded federal immigration enforcement efforts.
The backdrop is chaotic. According to the administration, federal agents operating in Chicago have been under siege—ambushed, assaulted, and even targeted with bounties on their heads. In a stunning statement to the Supreme Court, Solicitor General John Sauer described federal personnel being “rammed in their government vehicles, shot at with fireworks… injured and hospitalized… [and] threatened in person and online.”
That violence is cited as justification for the Trump administration’s request to deploy National Guard units—currently blocked by a lower court but under appeal to the nation’s highest bench.
Yet the administration’s efforts continue unabated. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Bovino, despite the court appearance, returned directly to immigration enforcement duties targeting violent offenders.
“He was immediately on an operation to remove violent criminals from the streets of Illinois,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, legal challenges persist. Judge Ellis is currently presiding over a lawsuit filed by Chicago residents who claim ICE and Border Patrol endangered civilians through the use of chemical agents during enforcement actions.