>> Last October, Chicagoans were living through the height of Operation Midway Blitz in reaction to the aggressive immigration raids in the Chicago area.

Governor JB Pritzker created the Illinois Accountability Commission to document alleged abuses by federal agents.

By then agents had already shot 2 residents killing one.

They agree to South Shore apartment complex.

And according to the commission's final report released today, they were in the middle of a military style occupation of Chicago's Little Village neighborhood.

And those are just a few of the events investigated.

Now, the commission is referring its findings to local prosecutors.

Joining us now to discuss the report is Ruben Castillo, the former chief judge for the Northern District of Illinois and the chair of the Accountability Commission.

Judge, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

on September 6th of last year, Donald Trump posted on social media, image of himself with the caption Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of War.

You can see that there on the screen 6 days later, federal agents shot and killed.

So video, Villegas Gonzalez in the suburb of Franklin Park.

You draw a distinct connection between these 2 events.

Tell us what that is.

We do.

It's cause and effect that that chronology and the chronology.

>> That's outlined in our report shows how this was motivated by officials in Washington, D.C.

The President Mr.

Miller.

agents were sent to Chicago with the idea of being more like.

militarist.

Stick.

Use of weapons, tear gas, we have an expert who testified that tear gas is outlawed in war.

But it was used extensively by ICE and Customs, Border Patrol agents.

All of that is detailed in our report.

>> Okay.

I also want to mention that we're also joined now by sort of your partner in in all of this to Trisha Brown homes in attorney and vice chair of the Accountability Commission.

You're also Cook County judge and an assistant U.S.

attorney and assistant state's attorney.

So, of course, lots of experience for you in this field.

Judge, the commission's report described Operation Midway Blitz, quote, as a whole of government approach to suppress opposition Holmes, who did you find was involved in all of So the evidence lead straight up to the White You know, it started from the top with executive orders and went straight through federal agencies.

>> And came all the way down to the streets of the city of Chicago.

so and of course, I think we heard over the course of of your work on naming and hopefully hoping to hear from a few of those senior officials in the Trump Administration, Department of Homeland Security, former Secretary Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller those folks here, you're saying that those are the ones who were involved in all of this and calling the shots correct.

Then we asked them to come and speak with us and every one of them declined.

Jessica Why aren't federal agencies holding agents accountable for misconduct or alleged misconduct?

Well, that's a good question that has to go with the leadership.

>> The Department of Justice say instead of doing that, have prosecuted different protesters.

We saw Ms Martinez shot 5 times amount She was prosecuted and stuff no other apologies being offered for being shot.

She was taken into custody the very day she was shot.

So.

To the contrary, instead of any agents being disciplined, investigated or prosecuted, they have absolutely declined to do so.

And that is why we need local officials to investigate and potentially prosecute these cases.

>> Judge homes, what is your commission doing with the evidence that collected?

So we are sending that evidence to various states attorneys offices across the state and asking them to take a look at the information that we've provided.

And we want to know that this is only the evidence that we were able to provide without subpoena.

So we had to rely on volunteers.

We had to rely on just asking people to come and talk to neighborhoods, communities, people telling us their stories, folks with cell phones.

And so we're giving this information.

It's the beginning.

It's not the end.

It's just a start for them to look into and actually do full investigations of this information because he acknowledge, you know, the commission faced some limitations in collecting evidence.

Yes.

What were some of those?

Well, we don't have don't have so we are we can only ask you if you say no, we can't do anything about it.

You said no, that's it.

So we communities.

We actually win over several communities over the city and various communities to sit down and say, look, we're not scary.

We just really want to record the information that you've given us information that you have so that we can then preserve it and give it to authorities who might be able to hold folks accountable for the activity that is taking place.

Another big limitation was the immigration status of our witnesses because >> they feared retaliation.

I mean, they could be immediately taken into custody and deported if they came forward in a very public way.

So we have to talk to a lot of individuals privately.

>> Right?

course, OK, so not on the record.

I during Martin Martinez is testimony couple of days ago, you shared anonymous testimony.

from Devon who did not want be.

was on the screen talking not identified any way.

There are many other people that we had listening sessions with where we would said on a table like this and just talk as to what happened and they were comfortable in setting.

But even with that setting, there were people that said, I want to talk to privately judging our commissioners went and spoke to people privately.

So Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill, Burks he has so far resisted calls to appoint a special prosecutor in response to your report today, she released a statement saying, quote, >> We commend the bravery of every witness who testified about their harrowing experiences before the Illinois Accountability Commission under Illinois Statute, our office can bring charges only after a receiving only after receiving a completed investigation from a law enforcement agency.

Judge could what is what's your response to her statement?

>> Well, I really don't understand her response.

That's what what I would say.

It's a little frustrating.

I've never matter.

I have no personal animosity toward her, I don't understand all these technicalities.

We are an official state Commission and we've presented her with information.

We also have centers to police departments saw.

I expect that they will investigate and she will get an investigative report.

And yeah, I've also heard that you said under no circumstances can est.

Official prosecute federal agents.

And I don't understand that because you will see that that's going to occur in other states.

>> Tell me more about that.

How do we know that?

That's gonna current the states?

What I think it's already occurred in Colorado and I know Minnesota is gearing up.

>> To do that with respect to the 2, the individuals MS Good and Mr.

Prodi who were killed in other incidents of needless brutality.

And so I really don't understand the ultimate resistance that the state's attorneys office has shown pull to the mayor when he tried to set up a protocol with that Chicago Police Department, which is an investigative agency and now the resistance as she's showing to our commission it just doesn't make sense.

Now.

I will tell you part one of the petitioners that has requested a special prosecutor be appointed if she believes she can out there.

This.

I said this city publicly have no hesitation saying this.

You should step aside like states attorney Alvarez did and let a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate and potentially prosecute But to say that these agents could come and create the misconduct that they created and actually kill somebody, shoot somebody and just walk away with impunity.

You know, turn so lopsided out.

So your commission, you relied heavily on citizens who documented the actions of federal agents.

Here's Governor Pritzker back in September.

>> People of Illinois.

We need your help.

Get out your cell phones record and narrate what you see.

So keep documenting.

It could make a world of difference for someone, perhaps for all of us.

>> I think we know over the course of Midway blitz.

Lots of us.

We're seeing lots of videos coming from so many different judge homes.

How do you verify the videos that you received?

Well, can't do any, you know, from Brunswick verifications.

That's one of our limitations.

However.

>> Somebody shows up with their cell phone and there in the video or they've taken that video footage that's verification enough right there for someone to take the time to investigate the activity that they are taking pictures up.

They aren't creating it.

It's not staged.

It's actually happening.

It's real and someone needs to look into it.

>> We heard the governor say that, you know, the documentation could make a world of difference.

Did it make that world of difference?

I believe so.

I mean, it's it's the documentation more than he said.

She said, You know, you say I got shot.

>> And we've got video footage of you getting shot.

You know, there you It's not it's not your word against someone else's.

It's actually the footage.

The video, it's it's street cameras.

It's individuals walking past its peak eyewitnesses.

I mean, it's all of that that goes into it.

>> What are the lasting impacts of Midway blitz that your commission found?

You know what, it's community impact its individual.

It's the little girl who can't go to her.

15 year-old King and celebrate a rite of passage.

>> It's the store owner who loses his business and therefore can't feed his family.

It's the little girl who is afraid to be out in public when something she hears a whistle because you know what's about to happen?

It's it's people who have been tear gassed and are suffering the physical and mental strain of that sort of thing.

It's it's the individual citizens of this state who are afraid to be out in public long-term traumatic impact.

Of course,