Chicago City Wire

A group of conservative activists plans to rally outside the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Tuesday in support of U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who is set to appear before Judge Sara Ellis on allegations that he violated a federal court order limiting the use of force during immigration enforcement operations in Illinois.

The event, organized by a grassroots group calling itself Protest the Protestors, is being led by Emily Cahill, treasurer of the Will County Young Republicans, an appointed precinct committeewoman in Plainfield, and membership coordinator for the Illinois Young Republicans.

Cahill said she organized the rally after learning that Bovino had been ordered to face Ellis, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Emily Cahill is organizing a rally in support of U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino ahead of his Oct. 28 federal court appearance in Chicago. | LinkedIn / Emily Cahill

“This is something I set up on my own after seeing that he was being called into court by an Obama-appointed judge,” Cahill told Chicago City Wire. 

A flyer for Tuesday’s rally urges attendees to gather outside the courthouse at 219 South Dearborn Street by 9:30 a.m., before the hearing begins at 10 a.m. 

It encourages participants to “bring a friend and a sign,” with messages like #WeLoveICE and “Support Our Agents,” though it notes signs may not be allowed inside the courthouse.

Cahill said even a small turnout would matter.

“I’m hoping we can get a few more people to show up,” she said. She also invited attendees to coordinate travel to the courthouse through her group’s social media pages.

Bovino, who leads the El Centro Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, faces accusations that he threw a tear gas canister into a crowd of protesters during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. 

Bovino is accused of deploying the tear gas despite a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Ellis prohibiting such tactics unless there was an immediate safety threat.

Cahill said she believes the case against Bovino is politically motivated and expressed skepticism about receiving a fair hearing before Ellis.

“I definitely 100% percent think there is gonna be some bias from the judge,” Cahill said.

Ellis, an immigrant from Canada, has emphasized her own journey to U.S. citizenship in past legal proceedings.

The previously levied TRO bans federal agents from using physical force or riot-control weapons against journalists and protesters lawfully present in public spaces. Bovino’s court appearance on Tuesday will likely focus on whether his actions breached those restrictions.

Plaintiffs in the case, a coalition of clergy, journalists and demonstrators, argue Bovino’s actions violated multiple provisions of the ruling. Ellis raised concerns from the bench on Thursday, Oct. 23.

“I live in Chicago if folks haven’t noticed,” Ellis said, according to the Union Bulletin. “And I’m not blind, right? … I’m getting images and seeing images on the news, in the paper, reading reports where I’m having concerns about my order being followed.”

She emphasized concerns over the lack of response on the body-camera issue.

“This was not a suggestion, it was not a hint, it wasn’t a topic of conversation. It was an order,” she said.

President Donald Trump and his supporters have long accused judges, particularly in cases involving illegal immigration, of issuing rulings that align with liberal and Democratic positions. Statistical evidence has been cited noting that opinions by Democratic-appointed judges, especially those appointed by Obama, have been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court at disproportionately high rates.

Meanwhile, threats against federal law enforcement have increased in recent days. During operations on Oct. 22, which the Department of Homeland Security called “one of the most violent days” of the initiative, Bovino coordinated enforcement, where agents reportedly faced assaults, vehicular attacks and a threat on Bovino’s life, an incident the FBI is investigating.

"While conducting immigration enforcement operations in Cicero and Glendale Heights, agitators stalked law enforcement, rammed vehicles, fled scenes, injured agents, and caused multiple accidents across town — putting law enforcement and the public in danger,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release. “Despite the violence, CBP arrested three illegal aliens who were breaking our nation’s immigration laws. Six citizens were arrested for impeding and threatening to kill agents.”

Bovino defended his conduct, telling CBS News that agents have made nearly 2,700 arrests under Operation Midway Blitz since early September and that they’ve exercised “exemplary” force “amid absolute chaos in the streets.”

Cahill, who is promoting the event under her Protest the Protestors social media handle, has a substantial online following. For Cahill and other supporters, the hearing represents a test of support for law enforcement.

“It's good to show (Bovino) that there's a lot of patriots that support him,” Cahill said. 

At one protest outside the Broadview ICE Processing Center, Cahill said she was surrounded, screamed at and threatened.

“Multiple individuals came up to me,” Cahill previously told the Will County Gazette. “They were screaming in my ear, blowing whistles in my ears. One lady said that she was going to stab me in my neck.”

Despite the threats, Cahill said she remains committed to publicly supporting law enforcement, viewing the experience as evidence of escalating hostility toward conservatives and immigration officials.