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

A judge on Monday ordered the government to preserve all video evidence that shows federal immigration enforcement agents deploying tear gas and other chemical agents toward Chicago-area protesters, members of the media and others since the beginning of the Department of Homeland Security's immigration operation "Midway Blitz."

But on the stand Monday, the second-in-command of Chicago's Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office said any footage, at least from Broadview's ICE processing facility, recorded before Sept. 18 has likely already been erased.

District Court Judge Sara Ellis order came as representatives from both ICE and Customs and Border Patrol testified before her at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Monday about recent protests and the use of tear gas in the Chicago area.

"If there hasn't been a preservation order given, it needs to be given," Ellis said.

For hours, Ellis questioned officials at the heart of the government's immigration enforcement operation in Chicago. She asked them to explain their agencies' policies and tactics regarding use of force, body-worn cameras, and proper methods of identification. Click here for more.

Federal immigration agents say they were attacked in the south suburbs on Sunday morning.

Bolingbrook police said officers responded to the 100-block of Williamsburg Lane for a reported battery just before 10 a.m.

The agents told officers that they were trying to arrest a 46-year-old man in a parking lot when two people approached and started hitting them.

The man and the two alleged attackers, females of unknown ages, ran away and into a nearby home.

No one was arrested, and the agents declined medical attention.

Further information was not immediately available.

Video shows what appears to be federal agents taking landscaping company employees into custody in Lake County, Illinois.

The company said at least one of those arrested had documents that were in order.

ABC7 blurred the face of the person being detained because it is not clear if they are charged.

ABC7 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment but did not immediately hear back.

DHS attorney says not all ICE, CBP agents have been issued body cameras, cites gov. shutdown as challenge.

A federal judge ordered the Chicago ICE field director to appear in court next week regarding several incidents.

In court on Thursday, federal Judge Sara Ellis, who issued a temporary restraining order, or TRO, on federal agents' use of tear gas and other crowd control methods last week, said she is "deeply concerned" with apparent violations.

The judge ordered Chicago ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott to appear in court on Monday to answer questions about several incidents where violations were alleged.

Judge Ellis also modified the TRO, now requiring all agents working under Operation Midway Blitz, including agents with ICE and CBP who have already been issued body cameras, to wear them and keep them on during "law enforcement activities" in Chicago.

Skedzieiewski added that not all agents have been issued body-cameras, including in the Chicago Area of Responsibility.

CBP agents may have been issued body-cams under a different program, and since CBP agents are here, the attorney said they may have access to, and have already been trained on when to activate their cameras.

Given the government shutdown, the government's attorney said rolling out a costly program like this would be challenging.

READ MORE | Judge orders ICE field director to testify, Operation Midway Blitz agents to wear body cameras