US Judge Bars DHS Agents from Targeting Journalists in Chicago

October 10, 2025 – USA – 

In a decisive ruling, a U.S. federal judge has issued a 14-day temporary restraining order barring Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents from using riot control arms or physical force against journalists covering protests and immigration enforcement operations in the Chicago area. The order also prohibits arrests, threats of arrest, or dispersal against identifiable journalists—unless there is specific probable cause that they have committed a crime.

Judge Sara Ellis (Northern District of Illinois) extended the protections to agents from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, requiring them to wear visible identification during operations. The legal measure was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the Chicago Headline Club, reporter unions, and individual journalists, citing multiple recent instances where reporters were struck by tear gas, pepper balls, or otherwise impeded while covering activity near a Broadview ICE facility.

Among the incidents cited: a Chicago Reader editor was hit with a rubber bullet and exposed to tear gas, and Block Club journalists were targeted with tear gas or pepper projectiles. A CBS reporter’s car was also struck by a pepper ball, causing burning fumes to enter the vehicle.

In the aftermath, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the agency’s actions, stating that while the First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly, covering unlawful activity carries risks—and that agents have faced a “nearly 1,000 percent increase in assaults.”

The restraining order represents a notable judicial check on federal enforcement tactics during protests and immigration operations. Whether it will evolve into a longer-term injunction remains under consideration.

Reference – 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/10/chicago-ice-raid-arrest

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-judge-orders-department-of-homeland-security-agents-to-stop-targeting-journalists-in-chicago/3713436