(Crankers) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz” on September 8, 2025. The immigration enforcement initiative targets undocumented immigrants, particularly those with criminal records, in Chicago and the state of Illinois.
The operation has been met with both support from the Trump administration and backlash from Illinois officials and immigration advocates.
According to DHS, the operation aims to target “criminal illegal aliens” whom the department claims have “flocked to Chicago and Illinois” due to sanctuary city policies.
The initiative was named in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old from suburban Chicago who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in January 2025. An undocumented Guatemalan man, Julio Cucul-Bol, was arrested in connection with her death.
The operation involves an increased presence of federal agents, including from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The launch of the operation follows a weekend of heightened ICE sightings in Chicago and President Trump’s earlier promises to crack down on crime in the city.