Homeland Security is not slowing down. Despite a government shutdown grinding Washington to a halt, federal immigration raids are rolling full force under what officials are calling “Operation Midway Blitz.” The effort has already netted more than 800 illegal immigrants — and according to DHS, many of those arrested aren’t just border crossers but dangerous offenders who slipped back into American neighborhoods.
Among those detained were convicted rapists, repeat DUI offenders, and previously deported felons who had returned to the U.S. illegally. In one dramatic sweep, about 300 federal agents stormed an apartment complex believed to be harboring members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, an increasingly notorious criminal network now spreading into U.S. cities.
Chicago waters, watchful eyes… vigilance never rests. During Operation Midway Blitz, Border Patrol Marine Units in Chicago apprehended an illegal alien from Honduras who had been previously removed 5 times, making this arrest his 6th time.
The Green Machine will keep looking… pic.twitter.com/xzKHrIUR6b
— Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino (@CMDROpAtLargeCA) October 1, 2025
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin made the administration’s position clear: “The Trump Administration will not allow violent criminals or repeat offenders to terrorize our neighborhoods or victimize our children and innocent Americans.”
The operation is concentrated heavily in Chicago and its suburbs, where DHS surged additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol personnel last month. That deployment triggered an immediate backlash from left-wing activists and self-styled “sanctuary” advocates, who have staged street protests to block federal agents.
In Broadview, Illinois, those protests turned violent. Rioters targeted an ICE facility, hurling tear gas canisters at officers, slashing government vehicle tires, and physically confronting agents on the scene.
Sickening chants of “shoot ICE” from the mob of over 200 violent psychopaths outside the Broadview Processing Center in Illinois.
This is transpiring just a few days after the horrific terrorist attack on an ICE facility in Dallas.
DHS is calling on @GovPritzker and… pic.twitter.com/nrg8VWyrbd
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 26, 2025
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker condemned the federal presence, complaining that “DHS officers appear to be carrying large weapons around downtown Chicago in camouflage and masks. This is not making anybody safer — it’s a show of intimidation, instilling fear in our communities and hurting our businesses.”
But DHS is unmoved. McLaughlin fired back with a statement that underscored the administration’s resolve: “We will not allow sanctuary politicians or violent rioters to stop us from enforcing the law and arresting pedophiles, murderers, gang members, rapists, and domestic abusers from American communities.”
