Photo: Getty Images North America
The Trump administration announced on Monday (September 8) that it had launched an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the immigration crackdown in Chicago, dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz," is targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records, per the New York Times.
“No city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said in a statement.
Local officials and advocacy groups confirmed there have been a few arrests thus far. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said at least three people were arrested Sunday (September 7) on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
“They’re targeting hardworking people in the community,” City Council member Jeylú B. Gutiérrez said, noting arrests of a street vendor selling flowers and another man waiting for a bus.“At this point, everybody is a target.”
Gutiérrez added that traffic was lighter in her ward on Monday morning, suggesting that residents were staying home out of fear.
Chicago is home to roughly 150,000 undocumented residents, or about 8 percent of the city’s households. Since President Trump took office, ICE has made more than 1,400 immigration arrests in Illinois, over 1,000 of them in the Chicago area.
Over the weekend, the White House posted a graphic showing Trump against the backdrop of helicopters, flames, and the Chicago skyline, with the caption, “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
"Operation Midway Blitz" is being staged from a naval base outside the city, and hundreds of DHS personnel are reportedly involved.
Governor JB Pritzker warned that his administration was prepared to challenge Trump in court if the federal response expanded beyond immigration enforcement.
“We’re ready to fight,” Pritzker said in response to repeated threats from the president to send National Guard troops to the city.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.