Chicago-area journalists and protesters have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of using extreme violence to suppress free speech and silence the press.
The case, presented in federal court on Monday, names several high-ranking officials, including President Donald Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and ICE’s Chicago Field Office Director Russell Hott.
The plaintiffs, which include the Chicago Headline Club, Chicago Newspaper Guild Local 34071, Block Club Chicago, other media groups, and protesters, argue that federal agents have repeatedly used tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets against crowds outside the Broadview ICE facility.
These actions, they claim, have not only harmed protesters but also affected first responders, local police officers, and journalists covering the events.
In a 52-page complaint, the organizations accuse the federal government of undermining constitutional protections, alleging that ICE’s conduct is part of a broader effort to suppress dissent and free speech. The lawsuit claims that federal agents have been tasked with illegally using force against civilians for the government’s own benefit, a move that violates the First Amendment.
The case comes just over a week after an ICE agent allegedly fired a pepper ball at a reporter from CBS Chicago while he was covering the protests outside the Broadview facility. That incident led the Broadview police to open a criminal investigation.
In addition, several journalists, including Block Club Chicago’s executive editor Stephanie Lulay, reported being targeted by federal agents during coverage. Since September 19, Lulay said that at least four media workers or freelancers have been hit by pepper balls and exposed to tear gas.
“We intend to continue to report on the protests, but our ability to do so, to the standards that we hold ourselves to, continues to be impacted by our fears of violence and arrests of our employees and contractors,” Lulay said in a statement. Her concerns reflect the broader safety issues facing reporters covering the increasingly violent clashes at the facility.
Independent journalist Stephen Held, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, was arrested last month while recording an arrest on a public parkway near the Broadview facility. Held, who was allegedly tackled and detained inside the ICE facility for hours, was later released without charges, as the complaint states he had not broken any laws.
The lawsuit also highlights the pattern of federal agents using excessive force against journalists, elected officials, religious leaders, and civilians involved in peaceful protests. “In every city to which they have been deployed, federal forces have used unjustified violence against the press, elected officials, religious leaders, and private individuals engaged in peaceful and protected activities,” the complaint reads.
Federal agents, the lawsuit asserts, have employed extreme force indiscriminately and arrested people without legal justification, all while attempting to stifle free speech and dissent during the ongoing protests. The legal action aims to hold the federal government accountable for its alleged violations of constitutional rights.
