ICE Begins Targeting Immigrants In Chicago 

The Trump administration has doubled down on its hardline immigration and crime agenda with the launch of a new enforcement initiative in Chicago, even as lawmakers and state leaders push back against the president’s threats to deploy federal troops into U.S. cities. 

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had begun “Operation Midway Blitz,” targeting undocumented immigrants in the city’s heavily Latino neighborhoods.

From the Washington Post:

“President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message: No city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said. “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.”

Immigrant advocates and Democrats in Chicago and Illinois rebuked the administration, accusing it of using the pretext of cracking down on violent crime to target undocumented migrants as part of the president’s mass deportation campaign. Studies have found that migrants who enter the United States either legally or without authorization do not commit other crimes at a higher rate than U.S. citizens.

“As President Trump continues to wrongly hyper-fixate on deploying the military to Chicago, his Administration is now ramping up its campaign to arrest hardworking immigrants with no criminal convictions,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said in a statement.

While DHS has framed the operation as a crackdown on “criminal illegal aliens,” immigrant advocates say arrests so far have included flower vendors, men walking home, and residents waiting at bus stops. 

What makes the sweep particularly alarming to organizers is its randomness: unlike previous enforcement actions that focused on serving warrants or arrests at immigration court, ICE officers are reportedly stopping people on the street and detaining them without prior targeting. For many in Chicago’s immigrant communities, the sudden shift in tactics represents an escalation that stokes fear far beyond the individuals detained.

Local leaders and advocates immediately condemned the operation. Residents in neighborhoods such as Archer Heights and Humboldt Park reported unusual unmarked vehicles and a heavy ICE presence near schools and businesses. 

Chicago Alderman Gilbert Villegas, who represents the 36th Ward, which includes multiple predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, told WaPo his constituents are increasingly fearful in the wake of the reported DHS operation.

“People are concerned about, if they’re walking somewhere, they’re gonna be asked for their papers,” he said. “How do you prepare to leave your home to make sure that you can come back?”

Community groups responded by organizing neighborhood patrols, ensuring children could make it safely to school if parents were too afraid to venture outside. Advocacy organizations reported an influx of hotline calls since Sunday, though some were false alarms spurred by heightened awareness. Faith leaders also rallied under the banner of “Resistance Tuesday,” declaring that Chicago needs resources and investment, not federal occupation.

The Chicago operation is the latest in a series of high-profile enforcement surges in Democratic-led jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, D.C. It also comes as President Trump escalates his rhetoric about deploying National Guard troops into cities he claims are plagued by crime and disorder, which most recently included Beverly Hills, California, and Portland, Oregon. Trump has repeatedly singled out Chicago in particular, calling it an example of failed Democratic leadership and warning that the city is “about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

These actions highlight a glaring contradiction in Trump’s governing philosophy. While his campaign was built on the idea of protecting “states’ rights” and pushing back against federal overreach, his administration has ignored the pleas of governors and mayors who have made it clear they do not want federal troops patrolling their cities. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been vocal in rejecting Trump’s threats, insisting that local officials neither need nor want National Guard forces sent by Washington.

“This isn’t about fighting crime. That requires support and coordination—yet we’ve experienced nothing like that over the past several weeks,” Governor JB Pritzker wrote on X. “Instead of taking steps to work with us on public safety, the Trump Administration’s focused on scaring Illinoisians.”

On Capitol Hill, Trump’s threats have not gone unnoticed. A group of 19 Democratic senators, led by California’s Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, announced Tuesday they would file a friend of the court brief supporting California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit against the administration. 

Newsom sued earlier this year after Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops into Los Angeles over the governor’s objections.

The senators argue that Trump’s actions violate the separation of powers and the Tenth Amendment’s anti-commandeering principle, which protects states from being forced into executing federal policies against their will. In their filing, they warned that the president’s recent escalation in Chicago and Baltimore makes judicial intervention urgent.

“Our concern that President Trump will continue to act in bad faith and abuse his power is borne out by his recent deployment of state militias to Washington, D.C. and his stated intent to deploy them elsewhere,” the senators wrote. They cautioned that unchecked, such actions could “usher in an era of unprecedented, dangerous executive power.”

White House border czar, Tom Homan, defended the operation that is expected to look similar to what happened in Los Angeles.

“We’re sending a message to the whole world; there are consequences for violating our laws. You’re asking me to tell ICE, ‘Don’t enforce the law.’ Should DEA enforce their laws? Should FBI enforce their laws? Should ATF enforce their laws? ICE is going to enforce the laws. That’s what President Trump got elected for and what we’re doing,” Homan said.

But immigrant rights advocates point to studies consistently showing that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S. citizens and that enforcement sweeps like “Midway Blitz” disproportionately target people with no criminal history.

Critics also see the operation as part of a broader political strategy—using crime in predominantly Black and Brown communities as justification for deploying federal forces and appealing to Trump’s base ahead of the election. For many, the images of unmarked vans detaining residents evoke authoritarian tactics that erode trust between government and citizens.

The clash over Operation Midway Blitz and Trump’s threats of troop deployment crystallizes a deeper battle about federal power and local autonomy. For decades, conservatives championed the principle of states’ rights as a check against federal intrusion. Now, Trump’s willingness to override governors and mayors—particularly in Democratic-led states—shows a sharp departure from that tradition.

Chicago’s leaders, faith communities, and immigrant advocates are sending a clear message that the city will resist federal overreach and stand in defense of its residents. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are attempting to draw a legal line in the sand, warning that allowing Trump to unilaterally deploy federal forces could set a dangerous precedent for executive power.

What is clear is that the president’s words and actions are increasingly at odds. Trump insists on defending “law and order,” yet he disregards the very state and local authorities he claims to support when they demand federal restraint. As Operation Midway Blitz unfolds in Chicago, it is not just immigrant families who feel under siege—it is the very principle of local self-governance that is at stake.

SEE ALSO:

The Supreme Court Rules ICE Can Engage In Racial Profiling

Dear Black Folks: The Protests Against ICE Are Absolutely Our Fight Too [Op-Ed]

[Op-Ed] Chicago Vs. Trump: Is This A Preamble to Civil War?

‘Operation Midway Blitz’: ICE Begins Targeting Immigrants In Chicago   was originally published on newsone.com