US judge orders release of 615 held in Illinois immigration raids

A federal judge ordered the release of 615 people Wednesday who were detained under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the US state of Illinois, according to media reports.

US District Judge Jeffrey Cummings sided with attorneys for the plaintiffs -- the National Immigration Justice Center (NIJC) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) -- in releasing those detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under "Operation Midway Blitz."

The ACLU and NIJC said more than 3,000 people have been arrested and detained since the Trump administration began its immigration enforcement efforts in June.

NIJC attorney Mark Fleming told reporters the organization believes at least 1,100 of the 3,000 arrested individuals have voluntarily left the country, saying they "gave up" fighting their cases.

Cummings ordered the release of all 615 detainees by Nov. 21, which applies to people who do not have mandatory detention orders and do not pose a significant threat to the community.

"They're all being awarded bond for 615, but how is that process going to happen?" Fleming said at a news conference, noting that many of the people set to be released "are probably all over the country" and need to be located.

Fleming alleged that ICE agents violated a 2022 settlement agreement over making warrantless arrests in the Chicago area.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chastised Wednesday's ruling.

"At every turn, activist judges, sanctuary politicians, and violent rioters have actively tried to prevent our law enforcement officers from arresting and removing the worst of the worst," said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to CNN. "Now an ACTIVIST JUDGE is putting the lives of Americans directly at risk by ordering 615 illegal aliens be released into the community."

DHS has not yet announced whether it plans to appeal the judge's order, but Trump administration attorneys have requested a stay until next Friday, according to Fleming.

"All of this, all of the tactics of (senior Border Patrol official Gregory) Bovino, all of the tactics of (ICE) have been unlawful in the vast, vast majority of arrests," he added.

Bovino emerged as the public face of President Donald Trump's effort to conduct mass immigration raids with ICE in Democratic-led states and cities, regardless of whether local officials wanted them there.

Wednesday's decision comes amid tensions between the Trump administration and local governments regarding racial profiling and constitutional rights being violated by arresting alleged undocumented immigrants en masse.

ICE officials said they "aren't leaving Chicago," despite reports that Bovino planned to leave the city soon. The reports of Bovino's potential departure came shortly after he was personally called out by US District Court Judge Sara Ellis, who was angered that Bovino initially claimed he had used tear gas on protesters only after being hit in the head with a rock, but later acknowledged the assault occurred after his use of force.

"Defendant Bovino admitted that he lied," Ellis said in a Nov. 6 hearing when she issued a preliminary injunction blocking the use of force against protesters and journalists.

DHS has cited a drop in street crime in the Chicago area since "Operation Midway Blitz" began in September.