Immigration enforcement officials have arrested almost 550 people in the Chicago area as part of an operation launched on September 8, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday. The updated figure follows a senior ICE official telling The Associated Press that more than 400 arrests had already been made, signalling a major enforcement effort similar to operations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.The arrests involve Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as other federal agencies supporting the operation, dubbed “Midway Blitz.” Activists and immigrant communities have expressed concern over the noticeable increase in enforcement agents, fearing large-scale arrests or aggressive tactics reminiscent of other Trump administration operations. The operation has prompted allegations of excessive force and dragnets that have ensnared U.S. citizens, while Trump supporters see it as fulfilling promises of mass deportations. Marcos Charles, acting head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, told the AP that roughly 50–60% of the arrests were targeted, involving individuals who had committed crimes, had a final order of removal, or were on ICE’s radar. The remainder were “collateral arrests,” meaning people encountered during operations who were in the country illegally but were not the original target. “It doesn’t mean that the collateral arrests are non-criminal. Some of our collateral arrests … also have criminal convictions and arrests. They just weren’t the people we were looking for at the time,” Charles said.
Operation unfolds amid tension and criticism
A predawn ride-along with ICE showed officers carefully tracking suspects. In one instance, a man matching the target description was arrested after being discovered to be in the U.S. illegally, news agency AP reported. Charles called it a “successful operation,” adding: “There was no safety issues on the part of our officers, nor the individuals that we arrested. And it went smoothly.”Yet Chicago remains on edge following the September 12 shooting of Mexican immigrant Silverio Villegas González, who died after dragging an ICE officer during a traffic stop. Charles said he could not comment on the open investigation but met with the officer in hospital and felt the force used was appropriate. Critics, including Alderman Andre Vasquez, argue ICE is escalating tensions and provoking communities. “ICE does not belong here,” he said.The operation has brought more than 200 officers from around the country, with no timeline for its conclusion. Charles defended the surge, saying, “It was time to hit Chicago,” targeting cities where local policies have limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
