A still frame photo shows Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino toss what appears to be a canister of tear gas at protesters in Chicago on Oct. 23, 2025.

CHICAGO — If you’d like a gauge of how far basic human decency has fallen under the Trump administration, consider this quote from a federal judge addressing the guy spearheading a violent crackdown on immigrants in Chicago.

“Kids dressed in Halloween costumes walking to a parade do not pose an immediate threat to the safety of a law enforcement officer,” U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said to Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino during an Oct. 28 hearing. “They just don’t. And you can’t use riot-control weapons against them.”

That seems correct. I don’t think there are too many Americans out there who would be in favor of masked federal agents/goons using riot-control weapons on trick-or-treaters. You’ve got to really hate Halloween ‒ and children ‒ to pull that kind of crap.

And yet … that crap has been pulled. On Oct. 25, Border Patrol agents turned a children’s Halloween parade in the city’s Old Irving Park neighborhood into chaos, conducting an immigration raid and tossing tear gas canisters without warning.

Federal agents release clouds of tear gas on residential streets

ABC News verified video footage that “showed agents deploying tear gas and tackling and arresting several people, including U.S. citizens, outside homes decked out in Halloween decorations.”

During the hearing, Ellis told Bovino, “You may not be familiar with all of the different neighborhoods in Chicago. Old Irving Park is a fairly quiet neighborhood, a lot of families, a lot of single-family homes. And these kids, you can imagine, their sense of safety was shattered on Saturday. And it’s going to take a long time for that to come back, if ever.”

For what it’s worth, Bovino looks and acts like the kind of buzz-cut, faux-tough-guy weirdo who would rejoice in shattering a kid’s sense of safety. He has tromped through the streets of Chicago and Los Angeles with agents and posted adorable "Look How Macho We Are!" videos of immigration raids set to heavy metal music.

In one case he bizarrely posted a "Star Wars" theme video that appeared to depict the Border Patrol as Darth Vader, who is notably not the good guy.

Border Patrol head Bovino is a picture of fake bravado

Bovino was recently filmed throwing what appears to be a tear gas canister into a crowd in a Chicago neighborhood.

Block Club Chicago reported:

“Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said neighbors provoked Bovino and other agents by throwing objects at them and setting off fireworks in their direction. Bovino was hit in his head with a rock, McLaughlin said.

“McLaughlin said agents, including Bovino, issued multiple warnings before using tear gas on the crowd.

“But the video does not show protesters throwing rocks or fireworks at agents, nor can agents be heard warning protesters before Bovino throws the canister at the crowd.”

Only a weak administration feels it needs to intimidate people

Not warning protesters before dispersing tear gas is a violation of a previous order Judge Ellis issued. That’s part of why Bovino found himself in court Tuesday being lectured about not using riot-control weapons on trick-or-treaters.

The Trump administration is gleefully engaging in acts of profound cruelty against immigrants, U.S. citizens and entire communities, and they’re doing it because, at the risk of sounding too academic, they’re weak and they suck.

Clowns like Bovino aren’t fooling anyone. And his ordering his Border Patrol agents to traumatize kids this Halloween season isn’t winning any hearts and minds.

LOL! Border Patrol chief must report daily to a federal judge.

In a brilliant stroke of emasculation, Ellis ended Tuesday's hearing by ordering Bovino to report to her in person at 6 p.m. local time every weekday about his agency’s daily actions.

In other words, Trump’s tough guy got detention.

If you need a judge to tell you not to tear-gas children, you deserve to be treated like a child yourself.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge tells faux-tough-guy Border Patrol chief not to tear-gas trick-or-treaters | Opinion

Reporting by Rex Huppke, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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