Save America Movement Releases Video Documenting Federal Agents' Tear Gas Deployment and Threats Against Clearly Identified Press in Chicago -- In Apparent Violation of Federal Court Order

CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Save America Movement (SAM) has released video captured by Operation Liberty photojournalists in Chicago that appears to document federal agents deploying tear gas against nonviolent protesters and pointing weapons at clearly identified journalists. This alleged conduct contravenes the Modified Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on October 17, 2025 (N.D. Ill.), which remains in effect through November 6, 2025. Yesterday, the Department of Justice asked the Seventh Circuit to pause Judge Ellis' requirement that U.S. Border Patrol's Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino appear for daily in person check ins. The appeals court granted a temporary stay of that daily check-in but the TRO's substantive limits and compliance provisions still apply. SAM will be on-the-ground reporting in Chicago so accountability is measured in facts.

The video, recorded during last week's confrontation involving El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino and federal agents, displays on-screen the exact TRO provision violations as each scene unfolds, including:

• TRO §1(d), §1(e), §1(f): Prohibitions on using riot-control weapons (including CS/CN gas) on the press, protesters, or religious practitioners not posing an immediate threat, and restrictions on trajectories that endanger non-threat individuals.

• TRO §1(a): Prohibition on dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, or using force against persons whom agents know or should know are journalists, absent probable cause.

• TRO §1(i): Requirement of two audible warnings and a reasonable opportunity to comply before employing riot-control weapons, when feasible.

• TRO ¶2 & ¶3: Requirements that agents in uniform display visible identification and, when equipped and trained, activate body-worn cameras during immigration enforcement activities.

"This footage shows what the court's order directly forbids: chemical agents used on a nonviolent crowd and weapons pointed at clearly identified press," said Mary Corcoran, SAM co-Founder and Executive Director. "Operation Liberty was created for moments like this - to ensure the American public has a clear line of sight into ICE activity in our communities. The court has made its requirements clear to Sector Chief Bovino and the Federal Government. And America deserves to understand their compliance, or lack thereof."

The released video includes synchronized captions of TRO text with time-stamped scenes, as well as clear shots of press identifiers, lack of audible warnings, and instances where agents appear not to display visible ID or active body-worn cameras during enforcement activity.

Watch the video: HERE

Background: Judge Ellis's TRO restricts dispersal orders, arrests, and use of force; mandates prominent agent identification; and requires BWC activation by trained and equipped agents during immigration enforcement activities in the Northern District of Illinois. The order also compels agencies to disseminate guidance and file compliance directives with the court.

About Save America Movement
Save America Movement (SAM) is a national citizens' organization responding to the escalating authoritarian threat posed by the MAGA movement and the vacuum of coordinated, effective opposition. SAM leads an expansive, lawful, nonviolent, relentless moral opposition; educates and activates the public; and upholds the Constitution and American democracy.
https://thesaveamericamovement.org

SOURCE Save America Movement