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pgb623.bsky.social
Paul Belliveau
@pgb623.bsky.social
3.2K followers 2.3K following 1.4K posts
Teacher. Photographer. Drummer.

Educated to be #KHive in 2018 by Bianca.
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Reposted by Paul Belliveau
gregsargent.bsky.social
DHS also said the woman's car "rammed" the agents' vehicle. But the Chicago Sun-Times reports that her lawyer says body cam footage undermines the notion that she drove her vehicle toward them and shows an agent saying "do something, bitch" before shooting. 3/

newrepublic.com/article/2019...
October 18, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
The full decision is here. Notably, the 7th Circuit has already temporarily put the decision on hold; not because of any flaws in her factual analysis, but because of concerns about standing and that here requirements imposed on DHS might be too broad.

Read: cst.brightspotcdn.com/49/34/daecfb...
November 20, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
This opinion comes on the same day that the DOJ dropped ALL CHARGES against a woman shot by a Border Patrol agent 5 times, who DHS accused of ramming a car and pulling a gun on CBP agents.

It strongly suggests they couldn't prove it in court and didn't want embarrassing evidence shown publicly.
November 20, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
What this shows yet again is that DHS's "official version" of events simply shouldn't be believed without verification. In video after video, claims made by DHS officers and DHS itself were shown not to have occurred at all — or to have occurred in a substantially different way than first described.
November 20, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
For example, the incident on October 23 where DHS claimed that Bovino was hit in the head with a rock before he deployed tear gas at protestors?

That didn't happen. He fired tear gas and then AFTERWARDS, someone threw a rock. He went back and forth on this under oath, repeatedly changing his story.
Most tellingly, Bovino admitted in his deposition that he lied multiple times about the events that occurred in Little Village that prompted him to throw tear gas at protesters. As discussed further below, Bovino and DHS have represented that a rock hit Bovino in the helmet before he threw tear gas. See Doc. 190-1 at 1; Homeland Security (@DHSgov), X (Oct. 28, 2025 9:56 a.m.), https://x.com/dhsgov/status/1983186057798545573?s=46&t=4rUXTBt_W24m-uWR74DQ5A. Bovino was asked about this during his deposition, which took place over three days. On the first day, Bovino admitted that he was not hit with a rock until after he had deployed tear gas. Doc. 191-3 at 222:24–223:18. Bovino then offered a new justification for his use of chemical munitions, testifying that he only threw tear gas after he “had received a projectile, a rock,” which “almost hit” him. Doc. 191-3 at 222:24–223:18. Despite being presented with video evidence that did not show a rock thrown at him before he launched the first tear gas canister, Bovino nonetheless maintained his testimony throughout the first and second days of his deposition, id. at 225–27; Doc. 237 at 11–17. But on November 4, 2025, the final session of his deposition, Bovino admitted that he was again “mistaken” and that no rock was thrown at him before he deployed the first tear gas canister. Doc. 238 at 9:12–21 (“That white rock was . . . thrown at me, but that was after . . . I deployed less lethal means in chemical munitions.”); id. at 10:20–23 (Q. [Y]ou deployed the canisters, plural, before that black rock came along and you say hit you in the head, correct? A. Yes. Before the rock hit me in the head, yes.”).
November 20, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
When she gets to Gregory Bovino, she finds him completely uncredible, and says he was evasive or outright lied multiple times across three days of testimony — and not just any falsehoods, he was not telling the truth about multiple things which were all captured on video, making it all very obvious.
Turning to Bovino, the Court specifically finds his testimony not credible. Bovino appeared evasive over the three days of his deposition, either providing “cute” responses to Plaintiffs’ counsel’s questions or outright lying. When shown a video of agents hitting Rev. Black with pepper balls, Bovino denied seeing a projectile hit Rev. Black in the head. Doc. 191-3 at 162:21–165:17; Doc. 22-44 (Ex. 44 at 0:10–12, available at https://spaces.hightail.com/space/ZzXNsei63k). In another video shown to Bovino, he obviously tackles Scott Blackburn, one of Plaintiffs’ declarants. Doc. 191-3 at 172:13–173:7; Doc. 22-45 (Ex. 45 at 0:19–30, available at https://spaces.hightail.com/space/ZzXNsei63k). But instead of admitting to using force against Blackburn, Bovino denied it and instead stated that force was used against him.
November 20, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Judge Ellis also found that a top CBP leader's testimony was not credible, in part because he admitted that was relying on unreliable "use of force" reports generated by DHS officers — and in a footnote, says video showed an officer asking ChatGPT to help him fill out a use of force report!
As for the evidence Defendants marshalled through Parra with respect to CBP’s actions, Parra testified in his deposition that he had only been in the field with CBP a “handful of times, four to five,” during Operation Midway Blitz. Doc. 191-9 at 30:7–10. And he made clear that he based much of his declaration on information he gleaned from use of force reports, with maybe some (unidentified) review of video footage. See, e.g., id. at 81:17–82:16, 85:17–23, 86:15–91:1 (describing that Parra viewed some video footage, but that he could not recall how much or of what events). Given the inconsistencies between the BWC footage and the use of force reports, with the BWC footage undermining what agents put in their reports, the Court cannot rely on Parra’s broad generalizations of protesters’ actions or Defendants’ responses to those actions. [FN 9] [FN 9] 9 The Court also notes that, in at least one instance, an agent asked ChatGPT to compile a narrative for a report based off of a brief sentence about an encounter and several images. Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-03_0949_D01A2556T at 00:00–00:42. To the extent that agents use ChatGPT to create their use of force reports, this further undermines their credibility and may explain the inaccuracy of these reports when viewed in light of the BWC footage.
November 20, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
In another example of testimony that wasn't backed up by evidence, the head of ICE ERO's Chicago Field Office testified that a protestor had "ripped a beard off an agent's face" and broken part of ICE's building.

When questioned, he admitted he had no evidence of this at all.
Hott, who served as the Field Office Director for the ICE ERO Chicago Field Office from August 2025 to October 17, 2025, and currently serves as the Field Office Director of the ERO Washington Field Office, represented in his declarations that someone ripped a beard off an agent’s face and that protesters broke a downspout at the ICE Broadview facility. Doc. 35-1 ¶¶ 12, 22; Doc. 173-1 ¶¶ 18, 33. But when questioned about these instances in his deposition, Hott acknowledged that he did not even know if it was a person that caused the damage to the downspout, much less a protester, and that he did not have proof that the agent’s beard was actually ripped off his face. Doc. 191-4 at 69:6–72:1 (downspouts); id. at 78:2–79:11 (beard).
November 20, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
In another incident, DHS officers wrote in an incident report, which DHS again publicized, that protestors had throw a bike at federal agents.

In fact, body cams showed that it was the agents themselves that "actually took a protester's bike and threw it to the side."
In Albany Park, agents wrote in their reports and DHS publicized that a bicyclist threw a bike at agents, Doc 173-2 ¶ 46; Doc. 191-6 at 1, but video from that event makes clear that agents actually took a protester’s bike and threw it to the side after they had deployed tear gas, Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-12_1345_D01A2797W at 1:30–1:40; Doc. 73-1 ¶ 11.
November 20, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Judge Ellis says all these errors, no matter how minor, add up. "[A]t some point, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to believe almost anything that [DHS] represent[s]."

E.g., a top officer testified protestors had shields with nails in them; there were no nails and mostly it was carboard.
These are not the only inconsistencies and incredible representations in the record. While Defendants may argue that the Court identifies only minor inconsistencies, every minor inconsistency adds up, and at some point, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to believe almost anything that Defendants represent. The Court discusses these inconsistencies in greater detail below, highlighting only a few here. For example, Hewson testified that people held shields with nails in them, Doc. 255 at 199:22–23, 200:19, 201:17–18, 202:10–11, but video demonstrates that at least some of these shields were merely pieces of cardboard, none of the shields had nails in them, and nothing warranted the aggression that the agents showed toward the protesters holding these shields,
November 20, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
DHS claimed an incident on Oct. 3 showed agents were in danger of being "rammed."

In fact, body cams "suggest[] that the agent drove erratically and brake-checked other motorists in an attempt to force accidents that agents could then use as justifications for deploying force."
Defendants also highlighted an October 3, 2025 video, presumably to show that agents driving the streets faced constant danger from cars ramming them on purpose. Axon Body 3. Video. But instead of leaving this impression, the video, which almost entirely consists of a view of the back seat of the car and some dialogue about how the agent’s “body cam is on” and he is “still recording,” suggests that the agent drove erratically and brake-checked other motorists in an attempt to force accidents that agents could then use as justifications for deploying force. Id. This also calls into question Hewson’s testimony that motorists have rammed into agents every day during the operation. [FN 8] [FN 8] 8 The Court acknowledges that at times agents have dealt with aggressive drivers. See, e.g., Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-23. But this has not been the norm in the videos that the Court has viewed, with agents instead often treating cars that are merely following them but not driving aggressively as potential threats. See, e.g., Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-23_1011_D01A31902 at 2:00–3:20 (showing an agent stating to a woman who had been behind his vehicle and gotten out to video agents as they stopped at the exit of an alley that “if you keep following us, we’re going to arrest you, you’ve been warned,” but nothing prevented the agents from continuing to drive); Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-23_1012_D01A45488 at 2:00–2:45 (showing that, despite having a clear path to continue driving, an agent gets out of his vehicle and tells a woman in the car behind him who was honking that “You know what you’re doing is illegal and you could be arrested for impeding law enforcement. I’m just warning you . . . following law enforcement, honking, and harassing agents is impeding law enforcement”); Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-25_1045_D01A36942 at 3:42–3:50 (Agent (tapping on glass of a car behind agents’ vehicle): “Stop following us.” Bystander: “They’re allowed to follow you.” Agent: “No they’re not.”).
November 20, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
DHS claimed that on September 26, a DHS officer claimed that they were forced to deploy riot munitions because protestors were "becoming increasingly hostile."

In fact, "the [Body Worn Camera] video shows that the protesters were simply standing there when agents first deployed any force."
On September 26, 2025, video from an agent’s BWC shows a line of agents standing at least thirty feet away from protesters outside the Broadview facility on Harvard Street. Axon Body 4 Video 2025-09-26 1137 D01A3411W at 2:00; see also Doc. 172-11 at 8 (“[T]he crowd [ ] was approximately 30-40 feet away.”). Despite this distance, the agents start yelling “move back, move back” to the protesters and then shoot pepper balls and tear gas at them without any apparent justification. Axon Body 4 Video 2025-09-26 1137 D01A3411W at 2:21–4:19. While the agent wrote in his use of force report that protesters were “becoming increasingly hostile,” Doc. 172-11 at 7, the BWC video shows that the protesters were simply standing there when agents first deployed any force. Axon Body 4 Video 2025-09-26 1137 D01A3411W at 2:21–4:19.
November 20, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
DHS claimed that agents were forced to use riot munitions to disperse an "unruly mob" on September 19.

In fact, "the scene [was] quiet," and then "almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls, stating 'fuck yea!' as they do so."
For example, Defendants directed the Court to two videos of agents outside the Broadview facility the evening of September 19, 2025. Doc. 232 at 1. In those videos, agents stand behind a fence preparing to leave the facility’s gates and disperse what Defendants described as an unruly mob. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB474J; Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H. The scene appears quiet as the gate opens, revealing a line of protesters standing in the street holding signs. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB474J at 1:30; Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H at 1:45. Almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls at the protesters, stating, “fuck yea!”, as they do so, and the crowd scatters. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB474J at 1:30–6:30; Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H at 1:45–3:20. This video disproves Defendants’ contentions that protesters were the ones shooting off fireworks, refusing orders, and acting violently so as to justify the agents’ use of force. [FN 7] See Doc. 172-8 (CBP use of force report for evening of September 19, 2025); [FN 7]: 7 In one of the videos, someone throws a projectile back at agents, which one individual tells agents another person did to protect the crowd from the agents’ use of force. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H at 4:00–5:00. This is also mentioned in the use of force report, although it is reported that the crowd threw “dangerous objects” at agents “[w]ithout provocation.” Doc. 172-8 at 19, 21. The BWC footage disproves the representation that the crowd threw objects “without provocation,” and the fact that protestors threw objects at agents after they deployed force cannot be used as justification for the use of force that preceded it.
November 20, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Reposted by Paul Belliveau
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
On October 28, DHS's social media account claimed that on October 23, "rioters" had "shot at agents with commercial artillery shell fireworks," thus forcing agents to deploy tear gas and riot munitions.

Judge Ellis reviewed the video. This was completely false. The explosions were DHS's flashbangs!
Homeland Security @DHSgoν VIDEO EVIDENCE. ... On October 23, Border Patrol Agents conducted enforcement operations near 27th and Whipple Ave. A large crowd of 75-100 rioters surrounded law enforcement who set up a perimeter after agents were boxed in by a large box truck. Rioters then shot at agents with commercial artillery shell fireworks. A Border Patrol transport van carrying illegal aliens attempting to get to the safety of the perimeter was then attacked. Border Patrol agents were able to secure the van and get it into the perimeter. The mob of rioters grew more hostile and violent, advancing toward agents and began throwing rocks and other objects at agents, including one that struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head. Moreover, videos of what happened in Little Village taken from agents’ BWCs and helicopters do not match up with agents’ descriptions of the alleged chaos they encountered. DHS tried to claim protesters threw fireworks at agents, see Homeland Security (@DHSgov), X (Oct. 28, 2025 at 9:56 a.m.), supra (video at 3:14–3:19 with overlaid text stating “artillery shell type firework shot at agents”), when the helicopter and BWC footage indicates that those explosions were instead agents’ flashbang grenades, see Axon_Body_4_Video_2025-10-23_1056_D01A47477 at 7:43–45; REL146 at 10:03–09. Moreover, aerial footage from CBP’s helicopter shows an agent throwing some type of smoke or gas device on a patch of grass off to the side of 27th Street, which further suggests that CBP, and not protesters, were the ones throwing things that CBP and DHS then used as justification to claim that protesters posed a danger to them. REL146 at 15:07–16:18. Defendants, however, cannot simply create their own narrative of what happened, misrepresenting the evidence to justify their actions.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM