Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling on Wednesday said the use of tear gas by federal immigration agents has lessened after he spoke with leaders from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Since the start of “Operation Midway Blitz” in early September, CBP agents have repeatedly deployed tear gas into hostile crowds. Chicago Police Department officers — 40 in all — were subject to the gas on at least two occasions.
“We’ve had a conversation with them about it and we’ve seen less of it now,” Snelling told the Tribune Wednesday morning before attending CPD’s budget hearing at City Hall. “I expressed my concern, we talked about it. Concern(s) from our officers and concern for everybody on the scene.”
“That conversation is always in the best interest of the entire city, not just the (police) department,” Snelling added.
The superintendent was not specific when asked if he spoke directly with Border Patrol Cmdr. Greg Bovino, who was recently deposed as part of an ongoing federal lawsuit stemming from the use of chemical agents.
The deployment of tear gas by federal agents has emerged as a sticking point in the ongoing federal immigration crackdown. At a hearing in federal court Wednesday, a judge was considering whether to put more long-term restrictions on the use of tear gas and other chemical agents on crowds and provide enhanced protections for protesters and the media.
