Ex-ICE director says immigration crackdown putting agents in "terrible position"

Chicago, Illinois - The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has raised concerns among federal agents about the rules of engagement and their deployment in cities where they are not trained or experienced.

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director John Sandweg said that the current situation puts agents "in a terrible position" and tasks them with operations in areas where they don't belong. He criticized the administration for placing these agents in high-risk environments, rather than allowing them to focus on their core mission of addressing human trafficking and smuggling.

Sandweg pointed out that Immigration and Customs Enforcement units are designed to handle high-risk threats and require overwhelming force to bring justice to those who break the law. However, when they are deployed in cities like Chicago, where they are not trained or experienced, it puts them at odds with protesters and journalists.

The situation came to a head on Tuesday, when federal agents used tear gas on a crowd following a crash involving a federal vehicle. This incident prompted a federal judge to express concern and issue an order requiring agents in Chicago to wear body cameras due to allegations of forceful tactics being used against protesters and journalists.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed support for the judge's decision, stating that he expects to see more cases brought against ICE and Customs and Border Protection. Former Homeland Security official Jerry Robinette echoed similar sentiments, describing the situation as "stressful" for both sides - the protesters and the federal agents.

Robinette pointed out that the agents have a mission and will only tolerate so much before being forced to take action. He also expressed concern about the uncharted territory of immigration raids and protests, stating that the US has never seen incidents like these before.

The deployment of Border Patrol agents in cities like Chicago raises questions about their training and expertise. While they are trained to catch drug traffickers and human smugglers on the southern border, they lack experience in dealing with protesters and journalists in urban environments.

The use of force policies for federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, are generally consistent with those used by local law enforcement agencies. However, the deployment of agents in areas where they don't belong and the use of overwhelming force have raised concerns about their effectiveness and accountability.

In a statement to CBS News, a DHS spokesperson described the viral clips as "a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens and agitators obstructing and attacking law enforcement." The administration's response to these incidents highlights the tensions between federal agents and protesters in cities like Chicago.

lol what's going on with our feds they're trying to catch bad guys but end up getting caught in a situation that's like something out of a movie . i mean, deploying border patrol agents in cities like chicago is like putting a wild west sheriff in the middle of Manhattan ️. they just aren't trained for it and it's causing all sorts of drama . and let's be real, who needs body cameras when you've got tear gas ? but seriously, this is getting out of hand and someone needs to step in and say "hold up, guys" . until then, just remember: if you're a protester or journalist, don't mess with the feds unless you want to get gassed .

[Image of a man holding a sign that says "I can has cheezburger?" with a police officer in the background looking frustrated]

[ GIF of a person trying to calm down a chaotic situation, but it just gets worse and worse ]

[A picture of a person wearing a body camera, with a big red "X" marked through it]

[An image of a map with a big X marked in Chicago, surrounded by police cars and protesters]

[A funny meme of a Border Patrol agent trying to do their job in a city, but everything keeps going wrong ]

man this is getting outta hand i remember when we used to have protests but they were always peaceful you know back in the day like occupy wall street or something we would sit outside and march for our rights without causing any harm now it's all about aggression and violence these agents are not trained for this kinda stuff they're meant to catch human traffickers and smugglers on the border not deal with protesters and journalists in cities they don't even know

and can we talk about body cameras? that's just common sense now i remember when they first started being used by police it was like a big deal but now everyone expects to see them on camera whenever something happens it's only fair that these agents are held accountable for their actions too

omg this is soooo concerning!!! i feel bad for the federal agents, they're being put in a super tough spot because of policies that aren't even meant for them... i get it, we need to address immigration issues but we gotta do it safely & fairly. what's going on with these body cams tho?! hopefully this judge's order helps clear things up

ugh man this is getting outta hand like what's next? deploying snipers on the Magnificent Mile? seriously though, can't they just focus on doing their job without putting everyone in harm's way? i mean, i get it, immigration laws are important but you don't have to take it out on innocent civilians. and what's with all these " illegal aliens" let's stop demonizing people who just wanna a better life, you know?

and can we talk about the training for a sec? like, i'm sure they're great at catching smugglers on the border but navigating Chicago streets is a whole different ball game. it's all about community policing and de-escalation techniques, not just shoot first

anyway, gotta side with JB Pritzker on this one gotta make those agents wear body cameras and hold them accountable for their actions. we need more transparency and less tear gas

I'm totally worried about what's going on with those ICE agents . It's crazy that they're being sent to cities where they don't even have a clue how to handle situations like this. I mean, come on, they're trained for the border, not dealing with protesters and journalists in the city! The fact that they used tear gas on innocent people is just outrageous . And now we're hearing that some judges are calling for them to wear body cams so we can see what's really going down. It's all just so... stressful .

this whole thing is just so frustrating... i mean, we're talking about federal agents who are getting deployed into cities where they're not even trained or experienced. it's like throwing a cat into a lion's den . and then you've got these agents using tear gas on protesters and journalists? that's just unacceptable. what's next? deploying the military to handle traffic jams?

i think the admin is just trying to create more division and tension, rather than finding real solutions to our immigration problems. and now we're seeing federal judges and governors speaking out against this nonsense, saying it's uncharted territory for these agencies. well, yeah, that's because they shouldn't be dealing with protests in cities like Chicago!

and let's not forget, these agents are supposed to be focused on addressing human trafficking and smuggling, not getting caught up in a bunch of protesters waving signs and shouting slogans . it's just common sense, you know? the admin needs to get their priorities straight and stop trying to flex their muscle all over the place .

the thing is with these immigration raids and protests it feels like no one knows what they're doing... i mean, we all know that ice and cbp have their own rules of engagement but do they really think about how those rules will play out in a city where everyone's just trying to live their lives?

i'm not saying the protesters are right or wrong but can't we find a way to resolve this without, you know, tear gas and body cameras? it feels like we're stuck in some kind of real life game of cat and mouse where everyone's just trying to survive.

and what really gets me is that these agents are being sent into cities where they have no training or experience... it's like throwing a fish into a shark tank and expecting it to work out. we need some common sense here, folks!

I'm getting so frustrated with this whole situation! It seems like the Trump administration is just throwing their immigration agents into areas where they're not trained or experienced, and then wondering why things get out of hand. Like, what's the point of having a body cam on if you're just gonna use tear gas anyway? And have you seen those videos of the agents chasing protesters through the streets? It's like something out of a bad action movie! The fact that this is happening in Chicago, where people are already tense about the police presence, just makes it all worse. Can't we just have some actual dialogue and cooperation between law enforcement and the community instead of resorting to force?

omg can't believe what's goin on with those federal agents in chicago they're gettin deployed into areas where they ain't trained or experienced it's like sendin someone to do a job without givin 'em the right tools i feel bad for protesters and journalists who are already stressed enough just tryin to do their jobs but at the same time i get why they gotta take action when they see some crazy stuff goin down it's like they're playin whack a mole but with tear gas instead of a mallet

OMG what is going on with ICE?? They're taking agents from other areas and throwing them into situations they're not even trained for?! That's just gonna lead to more problems! The judges are trying to protect people but the admin is still pushing for this... It's like, you can't blame protesters for being mad when they see these guys in tactical gear showing up out of nowhere! And what's with the "dangerous trend" statement? Like, what even is that supposed to do?! And don't even get me started on the body cams - about time we start holding people accountable for their actions! We need more transparency and less intimidation tactics. This is getting out of hand ASAP.

omg i dont get why they cant just have body cameras on all agents already ... like its not that hard to put a camera on u and record what ur doing its not like u r gonna be hiding some big secret from america lol... and whats up with the tear gas tho? cant u just use pepper spray or something instead? i feel bad for the protesters but at the same time im worried about the agents getting hurt too

This is getting outta hand! I mean, can't we just have a calm conversation about immigration reform? These ICE agents are not trained for dealing with protests and journalists in urban environments ... they're basically throwing tear gas at people who are trying to exercise their right to free speech . And what's with the "a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens and agitators" rhetoric from the DHS spokesperson? Sounds like some pretty shaky ground to me . We need to figure out a better way to address immigration issues than resorting to force and intimidation tactics ... or at least make sure our agents are equipped to handle these situations without putting innocent lives at risk