residents of Chicago and surrounding towns witnessed it again Immigration operations under the direction of federal agents. The central figure was Gregory Bovinosenior US Border Patrol official returned to Illinois after being away for more than a month.
The initial reports suggested so Arrests in the Little Village neighborhooda majority Mexican-American area. Neighbors warned of the presence of federal agents, and whistles were heard before immigration operations, used as a community signal.
In one of the episodes A man was arrested while riding his bicycle near 26th Street and Kedvale Avenue. “Four officers rushed in and dealt with him very harshly. We got out of the vehicle and told them it was an unlawful arrest,” Baltazar Enríquez of the Little Village Community Council told ABC Chicago.
Videos posted by residents and community organizations showed this to federal officials They carried out arrests in public spaceswhile those present complained about the way the procedures were carried out.
“We found them (the officers) on Ridgeway and 26th Street and they were shooting rubber bullets at innocent people. The neighbors told them they were not welcome here.“Enriquez detailed.
During the morning and afternoon of Tuesday, December 16, the federal presence extended to various parts of southwest Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Arrests were reported near Roosevelt and Cicero. and movements of official vehicles in commercial areas such as a Menards in the area of 23rd Street and Cicero Street..
The movements of Bovino and his team were repeated in different sectors, with caravans of vehicles arriving, staying briefly and then leaving again. For several hours Demonstrators, neighbors and journalists followed these tours through the city.
Bovino’s reappearance brought the focus back to the Operation Midway Blitzwhich was launched in September 2025 by order of the President’s Government Donald Trump.
The operation coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with ICE and the Border Patrol Their stated goal is to locate and detain illegal immigrants with criminal records in the Chicago area..
Since its inception, the strategy has led to a significant increase in arrests as well as complaints about family separations Procedures are considered indiscriminate. These methods led to protests and intervention by the federal judiciary.
A federal judge then ordered a review of the agents’ actions. Bovino was called to testify for alleged violations of court orders restricting the use of force in non-imminent threat situations. After this process was temporarily assigned to other citiesbut a little over a month later, on Tuesday, December 16, it once again made its presence felt in Illinois.
The campaigns focus mainly on districts with a high proportion of immigrants. “As we said a month ago, We are not leaving Chicago and operations continuesaid DHS Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin, as reported by ABCChicago.
“Operation Midway Blitz does what sanctuary policies have refused to do for decades: reduce and deport crime among the worst of the worst illegal immigrants that endanger the American people,” McLaughlin added.
After serving in places like New Orleans and Charlotte, Bovino resurfaced in Chicago in December. His return was confirmed by images and witness statements that put him once again in charge of immigration operations in Illinois.
During the day on Tuesday, loud Chicago Sun Times, More than 15 arrests were recorded in the southwest of the city. Among those detained were informal workers, such as a street vendor and day laborer. In one case, a tamale cart was abandoned after its owner was arrested.
“This illegal immigrant has discovered that attacking the Border Patrol is not in his best interest. Unlike Louisiana, a state that does not allow attacks on police, Illinois under the Pritzker administration encourages them.” DHS will continue to arrest these criminals even if Illinois does not“Bovino posted on his X account.
The senior official shared an image of a Mexican man identified as Santo Joel González-Rodríguez. arrested for allegedly throwing a rock through the back door of a Border Patrol vehicle while the agents conducted their operations in Chicago.
The Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzkerexplained that received no prior notification of Bovino’s return or the deployment of additional federal agents. He noted that he doesn’t know how long they will remain in the state.
“This is not an imposition. This is harassment” the governor posted on his
For his part, the mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnsonissued a statement expressing concern about this the presence of masked federal officers conducting immigration checks in public spaces.
“I am aware of the presence of Greg Bovino and masked federal agents in the Chicago area, including the Little Village community, just days before the holidays. a time when families should be together and not live in fear“, he said in X.
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