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High-ranking officials from the Justice Department emphasized to FBI personnel in northeastern Illinois the importance of maintaining focus on a significant federal immigration enforcement initiative this week, as ongoing civil unrest and political disputes pose challenges to President Donald Trump’s crime reduction efforts.
During a visit to the Chicago field office and an interview with Fox News Digital, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche discussed the federal operation known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” which is encountering strong opposition from activists and local leaders.
In a command post resembling a large classroom, Blanche remarked that it has become “obvious” that Chicago is currently a “kind of ground zero in an escalating assault on law enforcement.”
“I don’t say that to be flippant or political,” Blanche clarified. “I say that because we observe a significant, organized effort by domestic terrorists aimed at harming law enforcement personnel who are simply doing their jobs.”
Recently, hundreds of federal agents have been active in Chicago, focusing on suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Patel and Blanche met with officials from various Illinois agencies, including the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Drug Enforcement Administration, who are collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the Midway Blitz initiative, which began a month ago as part of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.
Patel has faced backlash for shifting the FBI’s focus toward immigration enforcement, typically under DHS jurisdiction, prompting former FBI officials to express concern over the reallocation of agents away from counterterrorism and national security roles.
Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., highlighted this week that 25% of agents were reassigned to assist DHS with immigration efforts. Patel defended the transition.
“This administration prioritizes not only the removal of illegal immigrants but also the safety of American citizens and all lawful residents in our neighborhoods,” Patel stated. “The partnership is exceptional.”
The ATF, also part of the DOJ, manages firearms recovered during the Midway Blitz operation.
Jonathan Maniff, assistant special agent in charge at ATF Chicago, informed Fox News Digital that his team is test-firing “every single gun” recovered by law enforcement during the operation. Agents conduct the test-firing in a specialized booth within the ATF’s mobile command center, a unique bus stationed in Chicago.
After testing, ATF agents enter the unique markings of shell casings into a national database, generating immediate matches to other casings and firearms, providing valuable leads for investigations.
However, the Midway Blitz operation has faced challenges, including reports of ICE agents allegedly striking a priest, two controversial vehicle-ramming incidents, and the detention of U.S. citizen children, which have drawn public scrutiny. DHS has defended its actions, rejecting claims of misconduct by ICE.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Johnson implemented a curfew on protesters following clashes near ICE’s holding facility in her suburb. Some demonstrators have faced arrests for allegedly obstructing federal agents and ICE vehicles, though grand juries have declined to indict them in certain instances, according to local reports.
Litigation has further complicated authorities’ operations. Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson accused the Trump administration of inciting chaos unnecessarily. Trump exacerbated tensions by calling for their imprisonment and labeling Chicago a “war zone.”
The Democratic leaders have also filed lawsuits challenging Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops, approximately 500 of whom arrived in the Greater Chicago Area this week to protect federal property and personnel.
One judge in Illinois has permitted the soldiers’ deployment for now, but litigation is still ongoing.
Blanche criticized the rhetoric from local politicians, stating, “The claims from the mayor and governor are completely misguided compared to the reality on the streets, where we see large groups of domestic terrorists. They are not protesters. They are not exercising free speech when they gather to ram cars or block law enforcement officers, many of whom are armed.”
He described the situation as “laughable,” adding, “They have access to the same news that I do, and we certainly need the National Guard.”
In a separate ruling this week, a judge found that ICE violated a long-standing consent decree by conducting warrantless arrests of immigrants, ordering authorities to rectify the situation and extending the agreement until February 2026.
