Operation Midway Blitz

Belesda Toledo, a 47-year-old mother of four and community activist in Little Village, was killed in a hit-and-run on South Hamlin Avenue. A white truck struck her while crossing the street, fleeing the scene. Rewards totaling $6,000 are offered for information leading to the driver's arrest, and neighbors held a memorial to support her family.

Lakeview homeowner Leo Feler is suing the federal government for a warrantless immigration raid at his home in October 2025, alleging Fourth Amendment violations by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents during Operation Midway Blitz. The lawsuit seeks damages and a court declaration that the raid was unconstitutional, following an incident where agents chased construction workers, detained one, and used tear gas on neighbors.

Block Club Chicago won a Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting for its coverage of Operation Midway Blitz, which examined federal immigration enforcement in Chicago. The project, titled 'Chicago Under Siege,' combined investigative, archival, and analysis techniques to document discrepancies between federal narratives and evidence from body-camera footage, ICE records, and court findings.

A Chicago city council committee questioned police compliance with policies protecting immigrants from federal immigration arrests, citing delays in implementing a policy to investigate ICE agents and recent arrests of street vendors linked to deportations. Community members criticized police for not investigating alleged ICE misconduct, including a fatal shooting and a car crash.

ICE has paused vehicle stops following deadly shootings, including an incident in Franklin Park, amid increased scrutiny of its tactics during Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area.

Chicago City Council advanced seven advisory referendum questions for upcoming elections, including compensation for federal immigration enforcement costs and reinstating gunshot detection technology. Two of Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposals were blocked by the council's rules committee, which approved four questions for the November election and three for the February 2024 municipal election.

ICE arrests in Chicago have increased since the end of Operation Midway Blitz, with more immigration-related legal referrals and verified arrests reported in recent months. Immigration agents have been sighted in multiple neighborhoods, using targeted tactics and arresting individuals at courthouses and during traffic stops, despite existing legal restrictions on such actions.

Jose Enrique Ojeda Duarte, a Venezuelan asylum-seeker, was wrongfully deported to Venezuela in April due to a clerical error, despite having pending legal cases in the U.S. After legal interventions, he was returned to Chicago in June but continues to struggle with emotional distress and fear of re-arrest following his detention under Operation Midway Blitz.

Five individuals are suing federal immigration agents over the use of tear gas and unlawful detention during Operation Midway Blitz. The lawsuits, filed in U.S. District Court, allege agents injured Rafael Veraza and his daughter with tear gas, among other incidents. Attorneys seek accountability and identification of the involved agents.

Six Chicago-area residents filed lawsuits against federal immigration agents alleging harm during Operation Midway Blitz, as Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke has not filed criminal charges. The lawsuits target agents over incidents including pepper-spraying a father with his 1-year-old, tear-gassing individuals, and violence during arrests.

About 300 Border Patrol agents with extensive experience participated in Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area, using force including tear gas, tasers, and lethal shots. Their incident reports often contradicted body-camera footage, and leadership, including Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, supported their aggressive tactics. Agents cited 'Presidential Executive Orders' as justification for their actions.

Chicago’s school board lacks a required noncitizen advisory panel 18 months after its first elected members were seated. State law mandates the mayor create the board to include noncitizen perspectives, but no timeline or guidelines exist, and the mayor’s office has not finalized an application process. The advisory board’s absence is concerning for parents and advocacy groups ahead of November’s school board elections.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago faces a credibility crisis after a failed indictment of six protesters who opposed the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. Prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment accusing the 'Broadview Six' of conspiring to impede a federal agent during a protest outside an immigration facility, but the case was dismissed due to revelations of prosecutorial misconduct.

The Trump administration is requesting the Supreme Court to approve its expanded ICE detention policy, which requires mandatory detention for immigrants living in the U.S. for years without bond hearings. Federal district courts have largely rejected the policy as a violation of due process, but the administration argues for Supreme Court intervention due to conflicting appellate rulings.

The Department of Homeland Security honors fathers whose children were killed or injured in crimes linked to illegal immigrants, including Marcus Coleman, Joe Abraham, and Doug Quets. The VOICE office, relaunched under the Trump administration, provides support to families affected by immigration-related crimes, with nearly 900 calls received over the past year reporting 815 such crimes.

The Department of Homeland Security honors fathers whose children were killed or injured in crimes linked to illegal immigrants, including Joe Abraham, whose daughter Katie was killed in a crash caused by a drunk-driving illegal immigrant. The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE), relaunched under the Trump administration, supports affected families and reported 815 immigration-linked crimes in the past year.

Norma Salazar Perdomo, an Ecuadorian street vendor ticketed by Chicago police for operating without a license, was detained by ICE while leaving a courthouse with her nephew, Fabian Cocha Toapanta. The incident highlights concerns about federal immigration enforcement in courthouses and Chicago's recent crackdown on unlicensed vendors, with at least 15 vendors arrested in recent months.

Grand jurors dismissed a case against the 'Broadview Six' after prosecutors presented evidence of a protest incident involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg and Matthew Skiba attempted to secure an indictment twice, but the grand jury initially declined, citing insufficient probable cause.

A controversial Justice Department official, Aakash Singh, has been linked to the Chicago-area deportation campaign Operation Midway Blitz and faces scrutiny over potential ties to the 'Broadview Six' case. Charges against protesters were dropped after allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, and a Tennessee judge dismissed an indictment citing Singh's pressure on prosecutors. Singh is also accused of rushing a fraud indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Chicago police closed a hit-and-run investigation involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who crashed into a woman's car during a chaotic detention in Albany Park. The incident, described as a 'tactical move' by police, was deemed non-criminal, despite video evidence and an insurance agent's complaints about federal and local authorities avoiding responsibility.

Trump's attorney general, Todd Blanche, supports U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros amid criticism over the 'Broadview 6' case and struggles securing convictions in Operation Midway Blitz cases. Local Democratic officials and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot have called for Boutros' resignation due to concerns over his office's conduct.

Protesters in Chicago demanded the removal of ICE after a chaotic street arrest in Albany Park, where federal agents detained Domer Jesus Martinez-Sifontes, a Venezuelan immigrant accused of illegal presence in the county since 2023. The demonstration, organized by the Party for Socialism & Liberation, occurred amid ongoing ICE operations in Chicago following the end of Operation Midway Blitz.

The Chicago US attorney admitted to personally influencing a grand jury before indicting protesters who opposed the Trump administration's immigration sweeps. A petition for a special prosecutor in the Operation Midway Blitz investigation was denied.

Federal immigration agents arrested a man during a chaotic Albany Park incident involving a vehicle collision and weapons aimed at bystanders. Neighbors and advocates plan a protest following the arrest, which they compare to last year’s Operation Midway Blitz. The arrested individual, Domer Jesus Martinez-Sifontes, is accused of illegally residing in the county since 2023.

Debbie Brockman, a former WGN employee, is suing the government for $10 million over her detention by ICE agents during Operation Midway Blitz. She was handcuffed and detained for six hours without being charged with any crime.

Debbie Brockman, a former WGN employee, filed a $10 million claim against the federal government after being violently thrown to the ground and detained by federal immigration agents during an October 10 incident in Lincoln Square. The agents, part of Operation Midway Blitz, accused her of assault on a federal officer, though no criminal charges were filed, and she was released after six hours without charges.

A WGN staffer filed a $10 million claim against the federal government after being forcefully detained and released without charges during 'Operation Midway Blitz' in Lincoln Square. The claim alleges physical and emotional injuries from the arrest, including assault and false imprisonment, with the plaintiff criticizing federal agents for violent conduct.

Illinois Legislature passed a bill banning new immigration detention centers within 1,500 feet of homes, schools, and other facilities, which now awaits Governor JB Pritzker's signature. Existing facilities like the Broadview ICE processing center are unaffected, and the legislation has drawn opposition from Republicans who argue it may be unconstitutional.

A new investigation reveals that ICE has increased arrests in the New York area, disproportionately targeting Latino neighborhoods. Of 430 street arrests between October 2025 and mid-March, 93% involved Latinos, despite them comprising only 66% of the local undocumented population. Many arrested individuals were not the intended targets of the operations.

Diego Emmanuel Reyes, 21, was indicted for allegedly using his SUV as a weapon to ram an ICE agent's truck during 'Operation Midway Blitz' in Chicago on October 4, 2025, facing up to 20 years in prison. Federal authorities condemned the attack as a violent threat to law enforcement and the rule of law.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is calling for criminal investigations into federal immigration enforcement agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz, citing a report of alleged misconduct and abuse of power. The report accuses ICE agents of unconstitutional uses of force and the Trump administration of lying about the operation's motivation. Pritzker's call for investigation has been met with criticism from the Department of Homeland Security.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is calling for criminal investigations into ICE agents over their conduct during Operation Midway Blitz, citing a report that alleges misconduct and abuse of power. The report accuses federal agents of using excessive force and distorting facts about the operation. Pritzker's move has been met with criticism from the Department of Homeland Security.

Illinois officials held a second day of hearings to investigate Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE immigration crackdown conducted by the Trump administration. Governor JB Pritzker discussed the state's efforts to seek accountability for the operation.