CHICAGO – Through the second week of Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, the Department of Homeland Security said it’s detained more than 500 individuals since the start of the stepped-up immigration enforcement campaign.
Federal officials claim they are targeting violent criminals, although there have been reports that agents have accidentally detained a U.S. citizen near suburban Elgin, but later released him.
An agent also shot and killed an undocumented immigrant in northwest suburban Franklin Park who officials said had a history of reckless driving.
Disputes over arrests
What we know:
On Monday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said he’s not necessarily buying the official numbers from DHS.
“Fewer than 30% of those who’ve been arrested have any kind of criminal background whatsoever,” Durbin said. “So 70% of the people who are being detained have no criminal record. The president can rant about rapists and murderers and terrorists and criminally insane people coming in as immigrants. But those who are being arrested don’t have any indication of that behavior. So if we’re going to make America safe, let’s put the resources into stopping criminals.”
The senator’s comments come after several days of clashes between a handful of protestors and ICE and Border Patrol agents at the ICE processing center in west suburban Broadview.
The other side:
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security blamed the actions and rhetoric of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for escalating of tense situations.
“It is incumbent upon JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson to turn down the rhetoric because they are repeating and really turning to violence,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant DHS secretary, on Fox News. “You see really depraved individuals being held in this processing facility. Why do they want them out? Why do they want them released? It makes no sense and you’re just putting Chicago residents in danger.”
DHS also argued in a post on X that protesters at the Broadview facility “are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Chicago streets.”
Also on Monday, federal officials said the Broadview facility would remain open despite rumors it would close.
More protests were expected to continue daily at that facility.
