Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino revealed that nearly 3,000 people have been arrested in Chicago and the surrounding area during the immigration offensive launched in September by the Donald Trump administration.

This statement comes despite the fact that Bovino was summoned to appear in person in court in Chicago next week as part of a lawsuit against the federal challenging immigration enforcement tactics in that city.

This comes after an image of the Border Patrol commander spread following the DHS immigration operation “Midway Blitz,” where he was captured throwing what appeared to be a tear gas bomb at a crowd protesting the presence of federal agents in the neighborhood.

Given this, Bovino himself justified the situation by saying, “When we use force in law enforcement… it's the least amount of force necessary to make an arrest or to affect the successful outcome of whatever mission we're on.”

According to testimonies in Chicago, agents began in Mexican neighborhoods such as Little Village and Pilsen, where their main target has been street vendors and places where day laborers gather waiting for temporary work. However, in recent days they have expanded their actions to high-powered neighborhoods. acquisitive, in the north of the city.

There were even arrests at O'Hare International Airport, in the parking lot, where Uber and Lyft drivers wait before being called to pick up passengers.

The number provided by Bovino, which doubles what has been officially reported so far, was not confirmed by other sources at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Many have criticized the legality and brutality of the arrests, including the fact that audible warnings were not given before the tear gas was fired, as ordered by federal judge Sara Ellis.