ICE Launches 'Operation Midway Blitz' in Chicago as Punitive Action Against Sanctuary City

DHS announced Operation Midway Blitz, a multi-agency immigration enforcement surge targeting Chicago and all of Illinois. Named in honor of a victim killed by an undocumented immigrant, the operation was launched to 'crack down on sanctuary policies.' The Wall Street Journal reported Chicago was 'punitively selected' as the first target due to Trump's 'high-profile feud' with Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city's sanctuary policy. Hundreds of DHS agents used a nearby naval base as staging. Data later showed most of the 4,500+ people arrested during Midway Blitz had no criminal records - by mid-October, over 60% of arrests did not involve any criminal charge or conviction.