Robert McCoppin | Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO -- Chicago news media organizations have filed suit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and federal officials, accusing the agency of using excessive force against reporters at protests of immigrant detention, and seeking a court order against such actions.
Chicago Headline Club, Block Club Chicago, the Chicago Newspaper Guild Local 34071, the Illinois Press Association, and others filed the suit in federal court Monday against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Customs and Border Patrol chief agent Gregory Bovino, the Department of Justice, President Donald Trump and others.
The suit accuses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal agents of shooting, gassing and detaining people who were reporting on or peacefully protesting arrests of immigrants across the country.
Specifically, the suit accuses federal agents of shooting tear gas and pepper spray into the face, hands or bodies of people who were reporting on or peacefully protesting the ICE processing facility in west suburban Broadview.
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The protests are aimed at "Operation Midway Blitz," a Trump administration action that federal officials say is to arrest people who've immigrated to the United States illegally. As under prior presidents, federal officials initially said they were targeting immigrants who've committed crimes, including some wanted for aggravated battery of a child, sexual assault or armed robbery. But those detained include people with no criminal records, and people who thought they were going through the immigration process properly by applying for asylum or getting a work permit.
Homeland Security announced last week that it had made 1,000 arrests in the Chicago area since the blitz began in early September. Agency officials said they are detaining anyone they believe entered without inspection or who hasn't been granted legal status such as permanent residency, asylum or temporary protection.
The suit cites several claims of abusive force, such as plaintiff Raven Geary, an investigative journalist and co-founder of local media organization Unraveled Press. Despite wearing a helmet labeled "PRESS," the suit stated, she has been fired at by federal agents using pepper balls several times, including one officer who shot her in the face from about 30 feet while she was standing in a public parking area, taking a photo of him.
"Plaintiffs endeavor to protect their basic constitutional rights to express their views opposing the lawlessness unleashed on the Chicagoland area, and to safely report on that public outcry, without fear of again being shot, gassed, and beaten by federal agents," states the suit, filed by attorney Steve Art of the Chicago law firm Loevy + Loevy.
The Chicago Headline Club is a nonprofit group of hundreds of area journalists that promotes a free press; Block Club Chicago is a non-profit news organization; and the Newspaper Guild is made up of unionized journalists from Chicago news organizations.
The National Association of Broadcast Employees & Technicians (NABET) and Communication Workers of America (CWA) local 54041 was also a plaintiff, representing member journalists from broadcast news organizations such as WLS, WFLD, WMAQ, WSNS, WGBO and others.
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