CHICAGO – The Department of Homeland Security is denying a report that Border Patrol agents deployed to Chicago under “Operation Midway Blitz” are preparing to leave the city.
What we know:
A DHS spokesperson said Tuesday that agents will remain active in Chicago, pushing back on
On Monday, a Chicago Tribune report suggested Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino and his team would soon be reassigned. However, a DHS spokesperson on Tuesday pushed back, saying, “We aren’t leaving Chicago.”
The agency said since Operation Midway Blitz began, homicides in Chicago have dropped 16 percent and shootings are down 35 percent.
The denial came as Bovino prepared to visit the Little Village neighborhood on Tuesday, where community groups are planning a 9:15 a.m. demonstration at the neighborhood’s iconic arch. Gov. JB Pritzker is scheduled to appear later that morning at an American Legion event nearby.
The backstory:
Tensions between city and federal officials flared again this week after a photo circulated online showing Border Patrol agents posing in front of Chicago’s Cloud Gate sculpture, better known as “The Bean.”
According to Block Club Chicago, some agents shouted “Little Village” instead of “cheese” while taking the picture, an apparent reference to the Southwest Side neighborhood where federal agents clashed with protesters over the weekend.
Gov. JB Pritzker sharply criticized the image, calling it “disgusting” and accusing federal officers of “producing reality TV moments” instead of keeping residents safe.
“As children are tear gassed and U.S. citizens detained, they are posing for photo ops,” Pritzker said.
Bovino fired back on X, accusing Pritzker of lying and defending the operation as an effort to root out gangs like the Latin Kings “that you’ve allowed to fester with no action for years.” He ended his post with, “Feel free to join us in Little Village.”
‘CALL IN THE TROOPS, FAST’
Big picture view:
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump late Monday night weighed in on Truth Social, calling Chicago’s crime out of control and urging troops be called in “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!”
He also called the Magnificent Mile the “Miracle Mile” and said the “28% vacancy factor” along the iconic strip is due to “murder and crime.”
The Source: The information in this story came from the Department of Homeland Security, Chicago Tribune, Block Club Chicago, posts from Gov. JB Pritzker, Greg Bovino, and President Donald Trump on social media.
ImmigrationJ.B. PritzkerDonald J. TrumpLittle VillageNews