The Trump administration is deploying more federal immigration agents to Chicago as part of a new enforcement push called Operation Midway Blitz.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the operation Monday, saying it will target criminal illegal aliens in the city. The agency blamed Chicago’s sanctuary policies for releasing dangerous people back into the community.
Officials did not provide details on when the operation will begin or end. When asked at the White House on Monday, U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan said the administration has been active in Chicago since day one, leaving questions over what the increased enforcement will entail.
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Illinois’ two Democratic senators criticized the plan. Sen. Dick Durbin said the White House is escalating a campaign to arrest hardworking immigrants with no criminal convictions. Sen. Tammy Duckworth called the effort wasteful, ineffective and inhumane.
"If Trump truly cared about law and order, his administration would provide the Chicago Police Department and community partners with resources to expand promising violence intervention strategies and most importantly, support initiatives that build trust between local law enforcement and Chicagoans," Duckworth said in a statement.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed similar concerns in an op-ed, writing that homicides in the city this summer are at their lowest level since the 1960s, while also acknowledging that any gun violence means there is still work to do.
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Johnson argued that reducing crime requires addressing root causes, developing effective policing strategies and focusing on violence prevention — not surges in law enforcement or so-called tough-on-crime crackdowns.
A handful of immigration arrests were made in Chicago over the weekend, and both residents and officials are preparing for those numbers to rise as more agents arrive.
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