The Trump administration has initiated an expanded immigration enforcement operation in Chicago named “Operation Midway Blitz,” designed to target criminal undocumented immigrants allegedly attracted by Illinois’ sanctuary policies.
Announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on September 8, 2025, the operation is named in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old Chicago-area woman who died in January after a car crash caused by an undocumented immigrant driving under the influence.
ICE officials state that this crackdown aims to remove dangerous criminal aliens who law enforcement claims have been allowed to remain and move freely due to the sanctuary policies championed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin declared, “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.” She emphasized the administration’s message that the country will aggressively pursue, arrest, and deport criminal illegal aliens without exceptions.
Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor supportive of sanctuary policies have strongly opposed the operation. Pritzker criticized the federal move via social media, stating, “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.” Pritzker’s office also condemned the lack of formal communication from the Trump administration regarding the operation, learning about developments only through social media sources.
Advocates for immigrant rights and community leaders have voiced concerns that the “Midway Blitz” is creating widespread fear and disruption within immigrant communities. According to Chicago immigration attorney Justin Burton, “People that have been productive in society…are now afraid to even leave their homes…People are afraid to go to court, to travel, to work, to send their kids to school.” Despite this, ICE officials maintain that the operation’s sole focus is public safety by targeting criminal elements within the undocumented population.
Federal officials also connect the operation to President Trump’s repeated threats to deploy the National Guard to Chicago to address crime issues, a tactic previously used in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Community activists and faith leaders have organized protests against the raids and any potential National Guard deployment, advocating for immigrant rights and decrying federal policies they call heavy-handed and discriminatory.
“Operation Midway Blitz” represents a significant escalation in federal immigration enforcement in a major U.S. city notable for its sanctuary policies and contested approaches to public safety. The situation underscores ongoing tensions between federal and local governments regarding immigration and crime, with Chicago becoming a prominent battleground in this policy debate.
This operation and its backlash highlight the polarized national discourse on immigration enforcement, sanctuary city policies, and approaches to crime reduction in urban centers.