One year after the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz across Chicago and the suburbs, Gov. JB Pritzker and members of Illinois' congressional delegation are renewing calls for investigations and accountability over the conduct of federal immigration agents during the operation.
Operation Midway Blitz began Sept. 8, 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security announced an immigration enforcement campaign focused on Chicago and Illinois. DHS said at the time that the operation would target immigrants with criminal records and named it in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old Glenview resident and Glenbrook South graduate who was killed in a drunken hit-and-run crash earlier that year.
Abraham and Chloe Polzin, 21, a Deerfield High School graduate, were killed Jan. 19, 2025, when their vehicle was struck from behind while stopped at a red light in Urbana, according to police. The driver, Julio Cucul Bol, later fled Illinois before being captured in Texas, authorities said.
RELATED: ICE Launches 'Operation Midway Blitz' In Honor Of Illinois Woman Killed In Hit-And-Run
On Tuesday's anniversary, Pritzker said the operation had been intended to intimidate Illinois but instead galvanized residents against what he described as federal abuses.
"Operation Midway Blitz was Trump's attempt to break Illinois' resolve and make us feel powerless before his might. He failed," Pritzker said in a statement marking the anniversary.
The governor's office said federal agents conducted raids throughout the Chicago area, used tear gas and other chemical agents, made warrantless arrests and detained U.S. citizens during the operation. Those descriptions reflect findings and allegations made by the state and its Illinois Accountability Commission; DHS has disputed broader accusations that its agents improperly targeted U.S. citizens and has defended the operation as lawful immigration enforcement.
DHS said during the operation that its agents were arresting immigrants with serious criminal histories, including people convicted of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, drug trafficking and other offenses. By late September 2025, DHS said Operation Midway Blitz had resulted in hundreds of arrests.
The anniversary also prompted a new push from Illinois Democrats in Congress.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Reps. Delia Ramirez, Danny Davis, Mike Quigley, Bill Foster, Robin Kelly, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jonathan Jackson signed a letter asking Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to investigate allegations of excessive force and other misconduct involving 21 federal agents during immigration enforcement operations in Illinois.
The lawmakers asked the inspector general to use findings from the Illinois Accountability Commission's final report and examine whether agents complied with DHS policies and federal law.
"There is little evidence of DHS action to investigate these incidents and hold personnel accountable," the lawmakers wrote, according to the letter.
The request seeks reviews of several incidents detailed by the state commission, including allegations involving shootings, high-speed pursuits and the deployment of tear gas near an elementary school.
The lawmakers also asked the inspector general's office to preserve body-camera footage, dispatch communications, use-of-force reports, personnel records and other material related to the agents and incidents identified in the letter.
Among the incidents cited is the October 2025 shooting of Chicago resident Marimar Martinez. The letter alleges Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum crashed into Martinez's vehicle and shot her five times, while two other agents were also involved. Chicago police have been investigating the shooting.
The congressional letter also cites allegations that agents conducted unauthorized high-speed pursuits through residential areas and used tear gas on a roadway near an elementary school while children were nearby.
No response from DHS to the anniversary letter was immediately available Wednesday.
Pritzker created the Illinois Accountability Commission in October 2025 to document and review federal agents' conduct during Operation Midway Blitz and examine its impact on Illinois residents and communities.
After months of hearings, testimony and document review, the commission released its final report in April.
The commission reported evidence that it said showed unlawful uses of force, warrantless arrests, discriminatory stops and other misconduct by federal immigration agents. It also recommended changes to federal and state policy and referred information about potential violations to law enforcement agencies.
DHS rejected the commission's authority to investigate federal officers and has disputed allegations of systemic misconduct. In public statements during Operation Midway Blitz, the department repeatedly said agents were carrying out lawful enforcement actions and facing increasing assaults and threats while doing so.
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The operation also fueled a broader dispute between Illinois officials and the Trump administration over federal immigration enforcement and the potential deployment of military personnel.
Pritzker later signed an executive order establishing the state commission, while Durbin and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth have since pursued federal legislation and oversight measures aimed at restricting or increasing scrutiny of domestic military deployments connected to immigration and law enforcement operations.
RELATED: Pritzker Tells Voters To Push ICE Agents 'Out Of The Way' At Polls
A new University of Illinois Chicago analysis released around the anniversary estimated that heightened immigration enforcement was associated with a substantial decline in commercial activity in Cook County.
Researchers with UIC's Great Cities Institute estimated about $1.26 billion in foregone retail and restaurant activity and about $107 million in lost local sales-tax revenue during the first year of heightened immigration enforcement.
The analysis found visits to retail businesses from outside their immediate communities fell by about 9 percent, while restaurant visits declined by about 10 percent. Researchers said the decrease was particularly pronounced in suburban retail activity.
The study attributed the decline to people limiting travel and commercial activity amid concerns about immigration enforcement. The findings are an economic analysis and do not establish that every decline in business activity was caused solely by Operation Midway Blitz.
Pritzker cited the study Tuesday while arguing that the operation's effects extended beyond people directly targeted by immigration agents.
A year after the operation began, disputes over its tactics, consequences and legacy remain unresolved, with Illinois officials seeking further federal investigations while DHS continues to defend its immigration enforcement mission.
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