An October Border Patrol raid has prompted a Chicago homeowner to file a lawsuit in federal court after Border Patrol agents illegally entered his property. Their target was the construction workers whom homeowner Leo Feler had hired for a home renovation. However, Feler and his tenant both asked the agents to leave the property several times after they jumped a 5-foot-tall fence to gain access.
Ring cameras and cameras worn by the agents captured the incident, including what happened when nearby neighbors saw what was happening and took to the streets to defend Feler and the construction workers, according to ABC 7 Eyewitness News.
Attorney Dylan Moore, who is representing Feler in the case, says that what the agents did violated the Constitution. Now, Felder is looking for accountability, especially after he says that efforts to have the incident investigated by local law enforcement didn’t pan out.
Here’s what we know.
Feler Was First Alerted to the Incident on His Ring Camera
The Lakeview homeowner shared Ring camera footage from the Oct. 24, 2025, raid, which showed federal agents pulling up to the house, causing the construction crew to flee. A woman who lives in the building could be seen coming to the patio to tell the agents they didn’t have permission to be on the property before Feler, who was traveling for work, talked to the agents through the Ring camera.
According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Feler said the agents eventually made their way into the home, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage. “There was no reason for this raid to be happening,” he said of the incident. “There was nothing illegal that had been happening on my property. It was just workers doing construction.”
Body-cam footage from the Boarder Patrol agents shows how they were received by neighbors who came out to see what the commotion was, while several nearby homeowners also told them to stay away. “You have no permission to be on my property,” one resident could be heard saying. “ICE, you are not allowed on my property. Get off my property. This is private property.”
Federal Agents Used Gas on Neighbors
The situation quickly devolved, and federal agents could be heard joking about deploying gas on the people in the streets before throwing canisters at neighbors. “Throw it for fun. Can I pop a gas? Gas coming out, gas coming out,” one agent can be heard saying in the video.
“Hiring construction workers to renovate your house is not an invitation to raid it,” Moore later told reporters about the incident. “Make no mistake, this warrantless raid was a search and it was unconstitutional.”
According to the National Immigrant Justice Center, if an Boarder Patrol officer comes to your door without a warrant, you have the right not to let them in. The center says that agents must have a warrant signed by a judge in order for it to be legally binding, and papers signed by other federal officers do not give them authority to enter your home without your permission.
That being said, it’s always best to consult a lawyer if you’re worried about what you should do in the event that someone from a federal agency tries to enter your property without a warrant.