Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Updates

A federal judge Thursday ordered federal agents to dial back their aggressive response to those protesting and reporting on United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the Chicago area.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a temporary restraining order restricting federal agents from "using riot control weapons" against journalists, protesters and religious practitioners unless there is probable cause that the individuals have committed a crime.

The TRO is in effect across the Northern District of Illinois, which includes Chicago and Broadview for two weeks.

Plaintiffs in the case include journalists, protesters and a pastor, who say they were unlawfully injured by federal agents outside of the Broadview ICE facility.

In court, the Department of Homeland Security defended its use of force, citing an increasing number of attacks on federal law enforcement at the facility and its "broad authority to protect federal property."

Judge Ellis' order also prohibits federal agents from arresting non-violent protesters who are "not resisting a lawful crowd dispersal order" unless there's reason to believe the person has committed a crime.

Judge Ellis said federal agents are also barred from "Dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, threatening or using physical force against any person whom they know or reasonably should know is a Journalist. ... Defendants may order a Journalist to change location to avoid disrupting law enforcement as long as the Journalist has an objectively reasonable time to comply and an objectively reasonable opportunity to report and observe."

The Department of Homeland Security will buy property in Chicago, as the government doubles down on crime crackdown efforts, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.

"But what I'm also doing, sir, is, and with your authority is we're purchasing more buildings in Chicago to operate out of," Noem said. "We're going to not back off. In fact, we're doubling down. And we're going to be in more parts of Chicago in response to the people there. And then, I was there a few days ago and looked at some facilities that we can deploy more law enforcement out of."

Attorney General Pam Bondi added that she was working through the Department of Justice to legally keep troops in Chicago and Portland as the Trump administration faces legal challenges in court.

"President Trump, my lawyers are in court right now as we speak for you arguing in Chicago and Portland to keep them safe, to bring in the guard. The government doesn't want it there, but we do. We're going to keep their citizens safe, thanks to the people want it," Bondi said.

President Donald Trump said that despite resistance from leaders in Chicago and Portland, his administration would be there "anyway."

"I think Pritzker is threatened by people who's no other reason that they don't want to have a safe Chicago. And we can solve the problem very quickly, and we're doing that anyway, regardless of if he doesn't want it or if he does want to. We're doing it anyway," Trump said.

Hammond officials said they stopped U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from staging at their northwest Indiana police department on Thursday.

Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. made the announcement on social media.

The mayor said federal agents began staging operations at the parking lot of the Hammond Police Department.

A spokesperson for the Village of Broadview said three vans carrying about 45 Texas National Guard soldiers arrived on Wednesday night.

"We let them sleep undisturbed. We hope that they will extend the same courtesy in the coming days to Broadview residents who deserve a good night's sleep, too. #TiredTexans," the spokesperson said.