Days after sources stated a number of federal businesses would “surge manpower” to Chicago and step up immigration enforcement, the Division of Homeland Safety introduced “Operation Halfway Blitz,” an effort to focus on “legal unlawful aliens.”
DHS posted concerning the operation on social media, referencing the demise of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old Glenview girl who was killed in January in Urbana, Illinois, together with a good friend by a suspected drunk driver who was believed to be an unlawful immigrant and fled the scene of the crash. A Guatemalan nationwide was later arrested and charged in reference to the crash.
The submit did not present particulars on timing nor potential areas that could possibly be focused.
The Division of Homeland Safety launched what it known as “Operation Halfway Blitz” to focus on Chicago and the state of Illinois. NBC Chicago’s Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern studies.
Trump, in a submit on his Fact Social platform Saturday, used a parody meme referencing the 1979 movie “Apocalypse Now” to threaten deportations and the usage of the Division of Conflict to fight crime in Chicago.
‘”I like the odor of deportations within the morning…Chicago about to seek out out why it is known as the Division of WAR,'” the submit learn.
“We’re not going to battle,” the president stated Sunday when requested about Chicago. “We’ll clear up our cities. We’ll clear them up so they do not kill 5 individuals each weekend. That is not battle. That is frequent sense.”
As ICE will increase enforcement throughout the town, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin stated “these are loopy instances.”
“The president of the USA basically declared battle on an American metropolis, one I like and honored to characterize … no joke,” he stated. Unprecedented menace towards American individuals”
NBC Information obtained photos of ICE arrests on Monday in Chicago, together with a photograph of a person from Mexico who was needed for aggravated sexual assault of a kid.
Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” stated brokers don’t goal individuals primarily based on race.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, in the meantime, stated the town simply skilled document low murder numbers, making this summer season the most secure for the reason that Nineteen Sixties.
Nonetheless, not all aldermen really feel the identical.
“Our metropolis wants as a lot assist as we are able to probably get,” stated Ald. Anthony Napolitano of the town’s forty first Ward.
As of Monday morning, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s workplace stated there had been no communication or coordination from the White Home to the governor’s workplace straight.
In response to a DHS submit, Pritzker stated, “As soon as once more, this is not about preventing crime. That requires assist and coordination — but we have skilled nothing like that over the previous a number of weeks. As a substitute of taking steps to work with us on public security, the Trump Administration’s targeted on scaring Illinoisians.”
As soon as once more, this is not about preventing crime. That requires assist and coordination — but we have skilled nothing like that over the previous a number of weeks.
As a substitute of taking steps to work with us on public security, the Trump Administration’s targeted on scaring Illinoisians. https://t.co/LoFPM0E4PF
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 8, 2025
Trump stated making an attempt and reasoning with individuals like Pritzker and Johnson is like “taking to a wall.”
“…It is simply, would not I assume it is only a political ideology,” he said, partly. “They don’t seem to be silly. Individuals have to be an ideology that is simply buried of their head, and you may’t do a rattling factor about it. And we might love to enter Chicago and straighten it out.”
Naval Station Nice Lakes in suburban North Chicago is serving as the middle of enhanced operations, with at the very least 300 federal brokers anticipated on the naval base.
“The bottom will present parking workplace house and storage for non deadly ammunitions for the Division of Homeland Safety by October fifth,” Durbin stated. “Most essential, service members won’t help in these raids.”
