The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday that it has launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” an aggressive effort to find, arrest, and deport illegal immigrants in Chicago.
The operation is in honor of Katie Abraham, who lost her life after a drunk illegal immigrant killed her in a hit-and-run accident in Illinois.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the operation “will target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Chicago,” according to a press release.
“For years, Governor Pritzker and his fellow sanctuary politicians released Tren de Aragua gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers on Chicago’s streets—putting American lives at risk and making Chicago a magnet for criminals,” McLaughlin added. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message: no city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”
DHS is targeting gang members, drug traffickers, and those who have committed violent crimes, according to the press release. These include a 47-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who was previously convicted of battery, aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, and several other charges.
Another target is an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member “with repeat arrests for burglary and shoplifting.”
🚨 BREAKING — THE SURGE IS HERE: President Trump is sending federal agents into CHICAGO, under “Operation Midway Blitz.”
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 8, 2025
“This ICE operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies… pic.twitter.com/tJeLHkZM8B
The announcement comes after the Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing the Trump administration to continue aggressive immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles. The decision blocked a lower court’s ruling prohibiting the government from using what the plaintiffs called “blatant racial profiling” and indiscriminate immigration-related stops.
🚨 BREAKING: The Trump administration has launched Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, surging federal law enforcement into the city. pic.twitter.com/8cWnmUq2Wh
— Luca Taner (@LucaTaner) September 8, 2025
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who wrote the majority opinion, argued that “the balance of harms and equities in this case tips in favor of the Government.”
President Trump is also considering sending the National Guard to Chicago to curb heightened crime rates, another move that will likely meet with backlash and legal challenges.