Ring camera captures federal agents storming Chicago home without warrant

CHICAGO - A Chicago homeowner has filed a federal lawsuit against the United States and unidentified Customs and Border Protection officers, alleging they violated his constitutional rights when they stormed onto his Lake View property without a warrant while pursuing construction workers renovating his home.

What we know:

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court by the Institute for Justice on behalf of homeowner Leo Feler, stems from an Oct. 24, 2025, immigration raid that was captured on Ring security cameras.

According to the complaint, Feler was in Toronto on a work trip when two unmarked CBP vehicles drove the wrong way down his residential street, stopped outside his home and officers began chasing four construction workers who had been eating lunch during a break.

The lawsuit alleges three of the workers ran onto Feler's property as masked, heavily armed CBP officers approached. When officers couldn't open the locked front gate, they allegedly climbed over the fence and pursued the workers through the home's private yard, second-story balcony and detached garage.

Agents arrested one worker inside the garage. Two others made it inside the home, where officers stopped chasing them.

The complaint alleges the officers did not have a search warrant, an arrest warrant or permission to enter the property. It also claims they had no probable cause or reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was taking place.

According to the lawsuit, the federal government later acknowledged during separate court proceedings involving the arrested worker that the arrest was made without a warrant.

Feler says he watched the entire incident unfold live through his Ring cameras after one of the workers rang his doorbell as the raid began.

"I could actually say into the camera, 'ICE, get off my property. You're not allowed onto my property. This is private property. You're trespassing,'" Feler said. "I was able to hear the tenant asking to see a warrant."

The lawsuit alleges both Feler, speaking through his security cameras, and a tenant repeatedly ordered the agents to leave, but officers ignored them.

The complaint alleges CBP officers damaged approximately $30,000 worth of property, including fences, a gate lock, construction materials, an exterior air conditioning unit and a second-story balcony while chasing workers through the property.

What they're saying:

Feler said the experience continues to affect him nearly a year later.

"I'm still very anxious," he said. "I lock the doors all the time. I check the locks all the time."

The lawsuit also claims Feler delayed renovations on his home for months, canceled travel, sought treatment for anxiety and ultimately left his private-sector job after his employer expressed concerns that his public criticism of the raid could lead to retaliation against the company.

Institute for Justice attorney Dylan Moore said the lawsuit is about more than one homeowner.

"Every man's home is his castle," Moore said. "You shouldn't live in constant fear that federal agents are just going to come into your home without warning and without good cause."

Moore said the Ring camera footage became critical evidence because it documented nearly every moment of the raid.

"It showed the officers repeatedly threatening to pepper spray these people as they were chasing them through Leo's property," Moore said. "If we didn't have that footage, it would probably be a lot harder to bring a case like this one."

According to the complaint, body camera footage also shows one agent encouraging another to deploy tear gas "for fun" as officers prepared to leave the neighborhood after neighbors gathered outside the home. The lawsuit alleges the tear gas drifted toward a nearby playground.

The lawsuit includes eight claims against the United States and the unidentified CBP officers, including alleged Fourth Amendment violations, trespass and negligence.

Feler is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, reimbursement for property damage, attorney fees and a court declaration that the raid violated his constitutional rights.

"The most important part of a case like this one is just getting a court ... to say that this was unconstitutional and the federal government doesn't have the power to enter private property without a warrant in situations like this one," Moore said.

What's next:

We reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice and Customs and Border Protection for their side of the story. We're still waiting to hear back.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.