>> Just as Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino and many of his agents returned to Chicago for more federal immigration enforcement action.

The Illinois Accountability Commission met with the public for the first time today.

>> We can recommend state legislation.

We can make recommendations for discipline.

We can make are recommendations for prosecution.

We know that some of those recommendations may fall on deaf ears.

>> The commission tasked with keeping a public record of reported abuse is perpetuated by federal immigration agents focused today's meeting on crowd control weapons specifically chemical irritants at Masterson joins us now with more insight into the Matt.

So if the hearing mainly focused on the deployment of chemical agents, Dr Rahimi Har testified about the impact that these weapons like tear gas have on the body.

Here's some of what she had to say.

>> The use of force is occurring by and large unjustified and to win.

It is being used basic protocols that would protect health and limit injuries are not being followed.

>> Okay.

So let's rewind a little bit not to get over.

Mind is how this commission came to be.

What prompted his creations?

Yeah, this was launched in October through an executive order by Governor JB Pritzker who wanted to create a commission that is tasked with documenting recording all these numerous allegations of abuse by federal agents in Chicago and the Chicago area by federal agents during the operation Midway Blitz, immigration enforcement action.

This commission, people its job is to track things like chemical weapon usage like agents pointing their weapons at protesters are residents and any violent arrests that were made during this operation.

But their role really isn't to enact sweeping legislation.

They're there to listen to learn and to advise they're going to take testimony from different groups.

They're going to take videos that are submitted to them and they want to learn about what these agents are doing while this is ongoing in Chicago, OK?

And of course, we just heard from Doctor Hany Har and her testimony.

What did the commission find out about how and why federal agents were using force in many instances like you said, hearing was focused on chemical weapons.

Dr.

Harsh spoke about several instances that she reviewed agents deploying tear gas in and around Chicago during operation Midway Blitz.

And he found that every single one of those is essentially a misuse of these chemical weapons.

One of these that discussed at length today was a November 8th incident was in which a one year-old child and her family was tear gassed as they were in a car to go shopping Har spoke about how there was no threat present to these agents.

At the time.

There were no warnings given before this.

Tear gas was deployed and there's no consideration of whether or not that gas needed to be used.

Tear gas is banned in warfare.

It's not something that should be used lightly.

But what she's finding that these agents repeatedly reusing it without justification and that tracks with what federal judge Sarah Ellis found as part of a lawsuit last month when she found that agents.

Had repeatedly used these types of weapons just indiscriminately in various situations that did not call for them and then would repeatedly lie about the justification that went into that after the So we know the commission, they plan to issue a finalize report by April 2026, what happens next?

There's going to be more hearings like today.

There's a 3 hour hearing where they heard testimony public comment.

They want to continue gathering that sort of evidence from people who are experiencing this firsthand.

There's going to be a status report filed in January with some recommendations.

But the commission's goal is to continue documenting this on a rolling basis.

People can submit allegations to the commission's website they can go to hearings and tell the commissioners what they've experienced in person.

And that's what they want to keep gathering as this goes forward until April, OK, I'm sure keep eye on it for us.

Matt Masterson, thanks so much.