* Capitol News Illinois …

A state board unanimously voted Thursday to approve a 204-page report detailing its investigations into misconduct by on-duty federal immigration agents amid Operation Midway Blitz.

It is also sending letters to local law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution of the agents. The letters are not determinations of guilt, but requests for further investigation by the relevant agencies.

“Where that record establishes reasonable cause to believe that misconduct may have occurred, we implore those responsible to ensure that this information is reviewed and that it is handled in an appropriate fashion,” said Patricia Brown Holmes, vice chair of the body.

The Illinois Accountability Commission, created by Gov. JB Pritzker through executive order last October, was tasked with forming a public record to document the impact of the federal immigration campaign on Chicago communities, but also to produce recommendations for harm reduction and prevention of future abuses.

Click here for the final report and here for the letter sent to law enforcement agencies.

* During the press conference, Commission Chair and former US Judge Rubén Castillo went after Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke for not appointing a special prosecutor…

Reporter: Sources tell me that the prosecutors want to do this the right way when they have all of the evidence. The governor’s saying the feds are not making this easy. They want the full basket of evidence which they don’t have yet. So there’s on one side of the ledger, let’s do this now. There’s a feeling that we want to do this now. There’s the other side. We want to do it, but we have all of the evidence to secure a win. How do those two things sort of balance out in your mind?

Castillo: I’m glad you said your mind, because I’m going to tell you what my mind says. Because 25 years of being a judge, four years as a prosecutor, all I see… First of all, the premise of your question, rush the judgment. There’s no rush. There’s no statute of limitations on killing someone or trying to kill someone. You can prosecute that any day. So if the state’s attorney wants to look at this for a year, that’s up to her, but to say that she’s not going to look at it at all, that she’s not going to investigate it at all. All I hear, again, in my opinion, are a bunch of excuses. When the mayor tried to put together a protocol to feed her the evidence the state’s attorney had a problem with that. When there was an effort on the part of individuals to have a special prosecutor appointed, which she could have easily recused herself, stepped aside, let the special prosecutor go in, and she or he, would take their lumps, if that’s what’s going to happen. She could have done that. But again, she comes back to ‘well, no one has stepped forward and said they’re a victim and complained.’ Well, Mr. Villegas González is not in a position to complain. He’s dead. And Miss Martinez has complained plenty, and she came before us on Tuesday and says she wants accountability. I don’t think it could be plainer than that. That this should be investigated. If it takes two or three years, that’s on the investigator. If a special prosecutor is appointed and she or he takes two years, that’s fine. There is no rush to judgment, but there should be a judgment about whether or not somebody committed a crime, and that’s all we’re saying.

* The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s response…

We commend the bravery of every witness who testified about their harrowing experiences before the Illinois Accountability Commission. There is no doubt that Operation Midway Blitz has traumatized and harmed our communities. We look forward to receipt of the full report and will work with our local, state, and county law enforcement to review the material.

We take any reports of harm seriously. That’s why the CCSAO developed a comprehensive and first-of-its-kind protocol to support law enforcement agencies as they investigate federal immigration officers. This critical guidance has been adopted by every locally elected prosecutor in the state and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Under Illinois statute, our Office can bring charges only after receiving a completed investigation from a law enforcement agency. At that point, we review the available evidence and determine whether criminal charges are warranted in state court. Allegations received from other sources are referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation. This process protects the integrity of our cases and helps ensure that any resulting conviction will stand.

BACKGROUND
State law limits the CCSAO from serving as a lead investigator into alleged criminal conduct. The CCSAO can play a supporting role in investigations that are initiated and led by a law enforcement agency.

The federal government, including its law enforcement entities, are not required to comply with any subpoena issued by a state prosecutorial body, and CCSAO does not have jurisdiction or authority to mandate subpoena compliance.

The CCSAO reviews evidence that is presented by law enforcement after an investigation has been conducted and makes a charging decision based on the facts and the law.

To date, the CCSAO has not received a request from law enforcement to review any investigation related to on-duty conduct of a federal immigration agent.

The CCSAO filed an amicus brief in support of Cook County to stop the National Guard’s deployment to Chicago, citing the irreparable harm that the Trump administration has caused on the criminal justice system and in our communities.

* Evanston Now…

Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday that the Evanston Police Department was among several local police departments and county prosecutors that will receive the findings of a months-long compilation of alleged federal agent misconduct during Operation Midway Blitz last fall. […]

In a separate 19-page brief released on Thursday, the IAC outlines its findings regarding the Halloween federal surge in Evanston. It culminated in a clash between bystanders and federal agents at Oakton Street and Asbury Avenue in which three U.S. citizens were detained following a car crash involving federal agents. […]

The Evanston Police Department, in a statement Thursday, said Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart is “out of town and has not had an opportunity to review” the report.

It’s unclear whether Evanston police will pursue charges against the agents named in the report, though approving charges and prospecting agents would ultimately be up to O’Neill Burke or a special prosecutor, should one be appointed. […]

Pritzker said he did not want to prejudge potential crimes and said its ultimately up to a jury to decide whether crimes were committed, but said “responsible public servants” should take the evidence before them and investigate.

* More…

* WTTW | Illinois Commission Details Federal Agents’ ‘Illegal and Violent Conduct’ in Final Report on ‘Operation Midway Blitz’: The commission report also outlined a series of policy recommendations in its report, including prohibiting “roving” patrols; ending warrantless arrests; halting the use of paramilitary tactics; and requiring federal agents to wear body-worn cameras. The report also recommends discipline for ICE and Border Patrol agents who committed misconduct. Throughout a series of public hearings, witnesses detailed the terror and fear they experienced as federal agents sought to “spread fear” in residential neighborhoods, the report found.

* WAND | Illinois Accountability Commission final report alleges federal misconduct in Operation Midway Blitz: “The Illinois Accountability Commission’s final hearing marks a defining moment. Not an ending, but a reckoning,” Illinois Department of Human Rights Director Jim Bennett said. “This report is a testament to our citizens who came forward and refused to let federal agents’ abusive and extreme actions go unanswered. The state of Illinois had made it clear that no one is above the law, including the federal government, and that documentation of these crimes creates a foundation as we pursue justice. These weren’t abstract violations. They happened to real people, and this record exists because of their courage. We will continue this work until there is full accountability.”