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22h ago

Federal Immigration Raids Surge Across Chicago Region Under ‘Operation Midway Blitz’

Local leaders are pressing for transparency after a deadly ICE stop, with arrest totals still unclear.

Investigators from the FBI survey the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a suspect after the suspect drove his car at the arresting officers on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park, Ill.
People install a memorial for Silverio Villegas Gonzalez on Sept. 15, 2025, in Franklin Park. Villegas Gonzalez was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during a traffic stop. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • Raids and arrests stretched from Chicago neighborhoods to suburbs including Elgin, Naperville, Wheaton and St. Charles, with agents seen in military-style gear and some operations recorded before dawn.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined on-the-ground actions and said agents are removing violent offenders, while Rep. Lauren Underwood reported ICE briefed her that roughly 250 people have been detained since the surge began.
  • Two people detained in the Elgin operation were confirmed to be U.S. citizens and were released, and witnesses described agents targeting day laborers near Home Depot locations and roofers at a Naperville job site.
  • Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County officials condemned the tactics and demanded details about the Sept. 12 Franklin Park traffic-stop shooting of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, as federal authorities have not provided a full public accounting.
  • Federal releases highlighted arrests of individuals with prior convictions, including a convicted murderer re-arrested in Elgin, as community groups organized vigils, legal aid and rapid-response efforts in affected neighborhoods.