CHICAGO – Federal agents patrolling Lake Michigan near Navy Pier took a man into custody this week, marking the latest arrest under an intensified immigration enforcement push in Chicago.
What we know:
U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino posted a photo on X showing agents taking a man wearing a life vest into custody from Lake Michigan.
Bovino said the man, originally from Honduras, had been deported five times before and that this arrest marked his sixth time in federal custody.
“The Green Machine will keep looking for those law violators living in the United States without any documentation. Want to live in this great country? Then do it the legal way,” Bovino said.
Big picture view:
The arrest took place during Operation Midway Blitz, a Department of Homeland Security effort launched last month to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Officials say the operation has led to more than 500 arrests in its first two weeks.
The other side:
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said he’s not necessarily buying the official numbers from DHS.
“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,” he said. “So if we’re going to make America safe, let’s put the resources into stopping criminals.”
The backstory:
Photos of armed federal agents on boats in the Chicago River recently began circulating online. It left onlookers, like James Morro, who owns Taco Rio and Urban Kayaks, confused.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection boats head east along the Chicago River towards Lake Michigan on Sept. 25, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
“I’m not sure it’s the best place to do enforcement, and it certainly seems like an attempt to send a message, but its hard to parse exactly what the purpose is,” Morro said, noting that the river is a federal waterway and it’s not unusual to see U.S. Coast Guard boats coming and going.
Last week, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks announced his arrival in the city, saying, “We will not allow criminal aliens to take root in our communities.”
In a separate post, Banks said, “Our ability to patrol on the water extends the reach of law enforcement.”
Dig deeper:
The stepped-up enforcement comes as tensions over immigration play out across Chicago. A woman selling tamales in the Back of the Yards neighborhood was detained by ICE last week, her fiancé told FOX 32. In Franklin Park, a federal agent fatally shot an undocumented immigrant last month who officials said had a record of reckless driving.
Protesters have also been clashing with federal agents outside the Chicago area’s ICE processing center in west suburban Broadview, resulting in some arrests and federal charges.
What’s next:
President Donald Trump has been hinting, as recently as Tuesday, that he will deploy the National Guard to Chicago to help protect ICE agents.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said the state will sue if Trump does so.
The Source: The information in this story came from the U.S. Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security, and previous FOX 32 reporting.
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