Airspace in Chicago was restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this week at the request of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amid immigration raids throughout the Windy City.
Restrictions are set to remain in place until Oct. 12 for unspecified “special security reasons,” according to an FAA notice.
Individuals will be required to obtain an approved special government interest airspace waiver to fly drones or other aircraft, the notice adds. Those found violating the restriction face risk seizure, damage or destruction of their property.
Upon inquiry, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson said measures were taken after the agency received a “credible threat of small, unmanned aircraft systems being used against law enforcement during Midway Blitz.”
Midway Blitz is an operation led by the DHS to arrest and deport immigrants in the Chicago area who lack permanent legal status.
Hundreds have been arrested at the raids, which began in early September. Local residents said they have been subject to the military’s removal of men, women and children from their apartment homes while they were naked, according to reports from WBEZ.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said Monday that Illinois National Guard soldiers were told 100 troops would be deployed throughout the state.
Amid concerns, the Democratic governor has encouraged citizens to record military interactions to attest to their treatment.
However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the FAA restriction may limit potential documentation for journalists and residents alike.
“The FAA’s ‘temporary flight restriction’ (TFR) comes amid abusive immigration raids in Chicago and President Trump’s authoritarian flooding of the city with National Guard troops and federal law enforcement agents,” the ACLU wrote in a statement.
“That raises the sharp suspicion that it is intended not to ensure the safety of government aircraft, but (along with violence, harassment, and claims of “doxing”) is yet another attempt to prevent reporters and citizens from recording the activities of the authorities,” it added.
Restrictions have been put in place for more than 935 square miles and come amid a similar notice of flight constraints in Portland, Ore., where the Trump administration has also pledged to deploy troops.
“This is about monopolizing airspace for government surveillance while preventing any civilian documentation of federal activities,” a post from the DroneXL outlet reads.
Source: The Hill
Be First to Comment