Judge orders release of US Border Patrol head Gregory Bovino deposition videos: Watch them here

A federal judge Wednesday ordered the release of video taken during an hourslong deposition given last week by U S Margin Patrol Cmdr Gregory Bovino The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Populace Media petitioned U S District Judge Sara Ellis to release the recordings which were filed under seal as part of a lawsuit led by the Chicago Headline Club a nonprofit journalism advocacy organization and a consortium of other media groups The journalism organizations allege federal immigration enforcement leaders have systematically violated the constitutional rights of protesters and reporters during President Donald Trump s mass deportation mission which began in early September and shows no sign of slowing down Ellis who issued a temporary restraining order last month communicated Thursday that she will put longer-term restrictions on federal agents use of chemical agents on crowds and provide enhanced protections for protesters and members of the media The published videos can be seen in their entirety on the Tribune s YouTube channel but here are chosen of the highlights U S Customs and Territory line Patrol in Chicago Bovino who is leading Trump s immigration enforcement effort in the Chicago area testified that he is leading roughly U S Customs and Frontier Protection agents as part of the so-called Operation Midway Blitz He stated he reports directly to Homeland Guard Secretary Kristi Noem More than exemplary Questioned by veteran Chicago civil rights attorney Locke Bowman if he stood by remarks he made to CBS that the use of force at the Broadview ICE facility has been exemplary Bovino at first surprised everyone by saying No The uses of force have been more than exemplary Bovino clarified In placing longer-term restrictions Thursday Ellis disagreed The use of force shocks the conscience she mentioned Violent rioters During the deposition Bovino mentioned he had not witnessed his agents using tear gas or pepper-spray balls against protesters in Broadview but chemical agents were used against violent rioters and assaultive subjects Definition of a protester When appealed to define protester Bovino stated it s a person exercising their constitutional rights to speak to speak their opinion to speak their mind in a peaceful fashion in accordance with laws rules and with the Constitution We get protesters on both sides of the issue Sometimes they protest against say a Title immigration enforcement mission tell us they don t like it we shouldn t be there we need to go home use very foul language oftentimes he announced And then there s also protesters on the other side of the issue that say hey you should be there We re glad you re here Continue to be here So I look at those as peaceful individuals exercising their right to one be there and two speak their mind It s freedom of assembly freedom of speech Bovino then rattled off a list of general actions he noted his agents have experienced actions he uses to draw a distinction between protesters and violent rioters or assaultive subjects Removing masks kicking agents grabbing agents groins assisting and abetting prisoners from escaping shooting fireworks knifing and slashing tires with weapons throwing rocks through windows of vehicles to hurt agents and or detainees Not a reportable use of force On the video Bovino is questioned about an Oct arrest he made involving a man protesting outside the Broadview facility According to the complaint Bovino ordered a man to move down the street after the man recounted him you love to be on television As the man started to move the complaint states Bovino stepped across a barrier tackled the man and arrested him During the Nov deposition Bovino noted the arrest was not a reportable use of force I placed him under arrest I didn t tackle him More about Bovino s interaction with the protester Bovino was sought about an encounter with the man Scott Blackburn who was protesting at Broadview The lawyer and Bovino disagreed over whether he used force when he tackled the protester He doesn t like the fact that you are instructing him to move down the lawyer explained to Bovino Bovino objected to the lawyer s characterization saying instead That individual is failing to follow instructions to vacate the area The video shows Bovino tackling the protester But Bovino characterized it a different way I m imploring Mr Blackburn or whoever that individual was to comply with leaving the area and to comply with instructions Bovino stated Questioned if he was making physical contact Bovino commented he was But he denied that it was a use of force saying it was different than using deadly force or open-hand strikes But he disputed that he used force against the protester The use of force was against me Bovino declared The judge however commented she did not believe Bovino s testimony about force that his agents and he personally inflicted in incidents across the Chicago area In one of the videos Bovino obviously attacks and tackles the declarant Mr Blackburn to the ground Ellis mentioned But Mr Bovino despite watching this video in his deposition says that he never used force Pastor struck in the head In video taken at a protest outside the U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview the Rev David Black walks toward the building and appears to talk with someone on the roof A fellow demonstrator offers Black a bullhorn which the Presbyterian pastor appears to ignore Seconds later Black begins dodging pepper-spray projectiles fired at him as another protester lifts his shirt and dances a jig as if daring someone to shoot at him Black initially takes a insufficient policies back then moves forward with his arms outstretched looking up toward the building and talking On the video pepper-spray balls can be seen striking the ground in front of Black He is then struck in the right arm by one He appears to try and turn away before he is struck again this time in the head Other protesters briskly gather around him as he kneels or falls to the ground the recording shows Bystanders lift him and help spirit him away Struck again On the video Black returns to sidewalk in front of the detention center with a megaphone in hand As he appears to speak to someone on the roof pepper-spray balls are fired in his direction A protester appears to try to shield him with a sign but it doesn t work Black is hit in the head again Bovino on the episode with Pastor Black Bovino was appealed about Rev David Black a Presbyterian pastor who was shot in the head by a federal agent He declined to answer the question which was framed as a hypothetical saying he was unable to comment on that use of force Pressed further Bovino disclosed I don t know what the use of force was here I can t make a judgment either way because I don t know