Immigration Enforcement and Protests

A three‑judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has lifted a lower‑court injunction that had restricted federal immigration agents’ use of force during Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s major enforcement surge in Chicago last fall. In a 2–1 ruling, the court vacated U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis’s preliminary injunction—issued after protesters and journalists alleged ICE, CBP and DHS violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights by using tear gas and chemical agents on demonstrations—and ordered vacatur of her order to ensure it cannot shape future litigation. The panel sharply criticized Ellis for later dismissing the case without prejudice, noting that allowed plaintiffs or class members to refile and potentially reinstate a near‑identical injunction based on her prior reasoning. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the decision on X as a “huge legal win” for President Trump’s law‑and‑order agenda, while civil‑rights advocates online are warning that the ruling removes one of the few judicial checks that had been placed on federal crowd‑control tactics during immigration operations. The decision effectively wipes the slate clean for future lawsuits over Midway Blitz tactics in Chicago and signals a more skeptical appellate stance toward broad injunctions regulating federal enforcement actions.