We’ve known for more than a week that a major ICE operation in Chicago was on Trump’s agenda. As Ed pointed out here, President Trump upped the pressure on Gov. Pritzker this morning by pointing out it was another deadly weekend in Chicago. And a bit later we learned DHS was calling it Operation Midway Blitz. The effort is being dedicated to a young woman who was killed by an illegal alien drunk driver earlier this year.
DHS is launching Operation Midway Blitz in honor of Katie Abraham who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run car wreck caused by criminal illegal alien Julio Cucul-Bol in Illinois.
This ICE operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois… pic.twitter.com/OjbgtTE1Au
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 8, 2025
Gov. Pritzker was quick to complain:
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.
Instead of taking steps to work with us on public safety, the Trump Administration’s focused on scaring Illinoisians. https://t.co/LoFPM0E4PF
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 8, 2025
Clearly the talking points have gone out.
And so it begins.
This is not about law and order—if it was, Trump would coordinate with the city and police on public safety.
Instead, he’s planning to invade, intimidate and stage chaos all so he can swoop in and play the hero.
Nothing about this is normal. NOTHING. https://t.co/77KLGPCSLf
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) September 8, 2025
Operation Midway Blitz is a declaration of war on an American city & my community. ICE is racially profiling Latinos in my district & across the nation—arresting street vendors, people waiting for a bus. No National Guard yet—just reality TV crews capturing cruelty. This isn’t… https://t.co/qpxMIgPfPQ
— Congressman Chuy García (@RepChuyGarcia) September 8, 2025
The City of Chicago received no notice of any enhanced immigration action by the Trump administration. We remain opposed to any potential militarized immigration enforcement without due process because of ICE’s track record of detaining and deporting American citizens and… https://t.co/F7oD1iKHB6
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) September 8, 2025
Since then we’re starting to see our first video of arrests made as part of this operation. This guy sitting under a tree was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a child.
CHICAGO — Operation Midway Blitz.
When city and state officials fail to protect their people from criminal illegal aliens, ICE is proud to step up and lead the charge.
We’re taking the worst of the worst off the streets and out of our neighborhoods. pic.twitter.com/StzEq2rhXS
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) September 8, 2025
Another arrest, this one’s from yesterday.
ICE in getting active in Chicago. All Illegal Aliens must go. I do not like how Latinos want to use the N Word when facing Law Enforcement. Leave Black Americans & everything about us out of it. #MassDeportationsNow pic.twitter.com/irGKqKfYhl
— Nas (@nasescobar316) September 8, 2025
The Washington Post reports that there were several arrests made yesterday.
Chicago city leaders and immigrant advocates said federal law enforcement officers began making arrests Sunday and had taken at least five people into custody, including a well-known flower vendor and people waiting at a bus stop and on the sidewalk. The activists said there had been “an escalation” in enforcement actions and several reported sightings of ICE vehicles.
“We believe this operation signals the beginning of ICE’s full escalation in Chicago and Illinois,” said Rey Wences, senior director of deportation defense for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
Video of another arrest dated today but I’m not sure when or where this happened.
ICE getting started in Chicago while protestors antagonize. Arrest them all. pic.twitter.com/o4E6PJ9El6
— LD Basler (@ArmaLite15OU812) September 8, 2025
The efforts to prevent arrests are pretty well organized.
WGN reports anti-ICE volunteers in Little Village, Chicago are conducting patrols with radios and whistles to alert illegal aliens if they see ICE entering the neighborhood.
“We’re going to be real loud so people can hear us and people can know that ICE is in the area.” pic.twitter.com/22JNK033v8
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 8, 2025
There was a big anti-ICE, anti-Trump protest in Chicago on Saturday.
NOW: “FK TRUMP FK ICE” Hundreds chant in Chicago as they march downtown against ICE and Possible deployment of National Guard pic.twitter.com/ZJ8atFRa5Z
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) September 6, 2025
So we’ll have to see if that kind of energy returns now that arrests are being made.
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