The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that more than 1,000 people have been arrested across Illinois as part of Operation Midway Blitz, an initiative launched on September 8 to target individuals living in the U.S. without legal status who are accused of committing crimes.
The large-scale operation, conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol, included raids in Chicago and surrounding areas. DHS said the effort was named in honor of Katie Abraham, an Illinois resident who was killed earlier this year in a crash involving a driver from Guatemala who was in the country without authorization.
According to DHS, those taken into custody include individuals with prior convictions or charges ranging from domestic battery and sexual assault to armed robbery, drug possession, and gang activity. Federal officials highlighted several cases, including:
- Rafael Alberto Tolentino Martinez, a man from Mexico convicted of aggravated domestic battery against a child.
- Pedro Avendano Andres, also from Mexico, previously arrested for multiple counts of domestic and aggravated battery.
- Aziz Kamal, a lawful permanent resident from abroad described by DHS as “deportable,” who has been charged with rape and indecent liberties.
- Marco Geronimo Ocampo, from Mexico, with prior arrests for armed robbery, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
- Mohamed Fagel, from Mauritania, accused of battery against a public official and robbery.
- Erick Rios, identified as a member of MS-13, with prior arrests for property damage, alcohol violations, and other offenses.
- Ludwing Jeanpier Parra-Perez, said to be a member of the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela.
Other arrests occurred outside of residential raids. In one incident near Navy Pier on Lake Michigan, agents detained a man from Honduras who had re-entered the United States multiple times after deportation.
DHS has described Operation Midway Blitz as targeting “the worst of the worst,” focusing on repeat offenders, gang members, and individuals with violent criminal histories. The agency released footage of a raid in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, showing agents surrounding an apartment building and detaining more than 30 people.
While federal authorities emphasized public safety, the campaign has also sparked protests. Demonstrators gathered outside a federal immigration processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, clashing with agents and resulting in further arrests. DHS reported that some protesters threatened officers, and additional security measures have been put in place.
The operation has unfolded against a backdrop of debate over Illinois’ sanctuary policies. State leaders, including Governor J.B. Pritzker, have been critical of federal immigration crackdowns, while DHS officials argue that sanctuary measures hinder law enforcement and allow repeat offenders to remain in communities.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin praised federal officers involved in the raids, saying that the operation was intended to protect neighborhoods by removing individuals with serious criminal records.
DHS has not indicated how long Operation Midway Blitz will continue, but officials said the operation is ongoing and further arrests are expected. While the department frames the effort as a matter of community safety, advocacy groups are voicing concerns about due process and the treatment of those detained.
As Illinois communities absorb the effects of the raids, the campaign reflects the wider national divide over immigration enforcement, balancing public safety concerns with legal and humanitarian debates that remain unresolved.
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