Several weeks after the Trump administration first signaled it would be drastically ramping up U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Chicago, the Department of Homeland Security launched what it dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz” on Monday.
DHS claims the operation will “target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois,” blaming the city and state’s sanctuary laws that prohibit local and state law enforcement from cooperating with ICE agents.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city received “no notice of any enhanced immigration action” ahead of the operation. Gov. JB Pritzker posted on X.com, “Once again, this isn’t about fighting crime. That requires support and coordination — yet we’ve experienced nothing like that over the past several weeks.”
The department did not say how long the operation is expected to last. DHS claims the mission would be carried out to honor Katie Abraham, a Chicago woman killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run crash in Urbana, Illinois, about 130 miles south of Chicago, earlier this year. The driver was an undocumented immigration from Guatemala.
Immigrant rights advocates and Chicago activists have been protesting outside ICE facilities in the suburbs since last week, and more protests have been planned this week now that the enhanced enforcement operation is underway. Organizers are also working in the community to inform residents of their rights; the city of Chicago offers “Know Your Rights” guides in both English and Spanish.