The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in coordination with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), arrested individuals it described as among the “worst of the worst” in Chicago over the past weekend.
Why It Matters
Immigrant communities, including undocumented residents, visa holders, green card holders, and individuals in the process of obtaining legal status, have increasingly found themselves caught up in recent immigration sweeps across Chicago. The heightened enforcement, carried out under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and aligned with President Donald Trump’s hard-line mass deportation policy, has sparked a wave of protests across the city.
While federal officials maintain that only criminals are being targeted, local advocates and community leaders say lawful residents and families with pending cases have also been detained, deepening fears that the crackdown is casting too wide a net and eroding public trust.
What To Know
The crackdown comes amid Operation Midway Blitz, a federal initiative launched in early September to apprehend undocumented immigrants, particularly those with criminal records, across Chicago and Illinois.
ICE and U.S. Border Patrol officers have detained more than 1,000 individuals without legal immigration status, according to DHS.
Among those arrested, DHS identified Wilmer Alexander Gonzalez Garaban, a Venezuelan national whom officials allege is affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang and has prior convictions for theft and resisting an officer.
Others taken into custody include Mexican nationals Ricardo Gervasio-Gervasio, Pedro Navajas-Contreras, Uriel Alvarez-Meneses and Arturo Guzman, who have a number of previous convictions for crimes including possession of cocaine and driving under the influence. Guzman, according to DHS, has previously reentered the United States without authorization twice.
The arrests come amid growing political backlash in Illinois. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker have strongly criticized the enforcement campaign, calling it an overreach of federal authority.
On Sunday, Johnson signed an executive order prohibiting federal immigration agents from using city-owned property, such as parking lots, vacant lots, schools, and libraries, for staging or operational activities. The order also encourages private property owners to deny access to federal agents unless they have a valid warrant. Johnson said the move was intended to protect community trust and prevent city resources from being used to facilitate immigration crackdowns.
Meanwhile, Chicago and the state of Illinois have filed a joint lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to the city to assist in immigration enforcement. The filing argues that the deployment violates local sovereignty and constitutional limits on the use of military force in domestic law enforcement. A federal judge declined to immediately halt the deployment, allowing limited mobilization to proceed while legal challenges move forward.
Civil rights advocates and immigrant support organizations have also raised concerns over what they describe as increasingly aggressive tactics used during recent ICE operations. Witnesses and advocacy groups reported the use of helicopters, flashbangs, and chemical agents during raids in residential neighborhoods. Some families have alleged that agents entered homes without proper warrants or targeted individuals without a criminal record.
What People Are Saying
“During Operation Midway Blitz, our brave DHS law enforcement has made more than 1,000 arrests across Illinois including of pedophiles, child abusers, kidnappers, gang members, and armed robbers. Our patriotic law enforcement officers are making these arrests despite working without pay because of the Democrats’ shutdown. President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow continued violence or repeat offenders to terrorize our neighborhoods and victimize our children,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement shared with Newsweek. “Operation Midway Blitz is making Illinois safe again.”
“We will not tolerate ICE agents violating our residents’ constitutional rights, nor will we allow the federal government to disregard our local authority. ICE agents are detaining elected officials, teargassing protesters, children, and Chicago police officers, and abusing Chicago residents. We will not stand for that in our city,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a press release. “With this executive order, Chicago stands firm in protecting the constitutional rights of our residents and immigrant communities and upholding our democracy.”
“Our brave men and women of law enforcement are being targeted and attacked by violent anarchists who seek to tear down America,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release. “I want each and every member of law enforcement to know this: President Trump and I have your backs. We stand with ICE as they continue to protect and defend our homeland.”
What Happens Next
Enforcement operations are expected to continue in Chicago as part of the federal initiative targeting undocumented immigrants. Federal and local officials are likely to continue clashing over the scope and methods of these actions, with legal challenges, protests, and community responses shaping the next phase of the operation.
