CBP raids led by Greg Bovino return to Chicago
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Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios; Photos: Scott Olson/Chicago Tribune via Getty Images
The return of Border Patrol agents and Commander Greg Bovino to the Chicago area threatens to fill another Chicago holiday season with fear and chaos, as federal officials reaffirm: "We aren't leaving."
Why it matters: Aside from some targeted local ICE raids, Chicago had seen a short break from daily CBP raids as operations moved to Charlotte, New Orleans and the Twin Cities in recent weeks.
State of play: Bovino had been photographed in New Orleans as recently as Monday, but, by Tuesday, he was spotted with dozens of agents in Cicero, Brighton Park, Little Village and Back of the Yards.
- Any Humani of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council estimated, at a Tuesday press conference, that 15 people had been apprehended in her area alone.
- Department of Homeland Security officials said they had arrested 35 illegal immigrants who "will remain in ICE custody pending removal" as well as two U.S. citizens for "impeding federal law enforcement."
The intrigue: Mayor Brandon Johnson noted Tuesday afternoon that Bovino is again being accompanied by a film crew on his latest operations, saying, "The crew's presence turns these operations into spectacles, showing a disregard for the humanity of those impacted."
What they're saying: "As we said a month ago, we aren't leaving Chicago and operations are ongoing. Operation Midway Blitz is achieving what Chicago's sanctuary politicians have refused to do for decades: decrease crime and remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens who put the American people in danger," Department of Homeland Security's Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
The other side: "While [President] Trump orders his minions to attack our communities to distract from his hateful, horrific, and increasingly fascist agenda, the harm on our families and neighbors is real," Rey Wences of ICIRR said in a statement.
- "Agent Bovino and others approached our [office] front door and waved to our staff, a clear intimidation technique," Marcela Rodriguez of Enlace Chicago said at press conference Tuesday. "They detained two men right across the street from our offices here, one man who was frantically trying to open his door with his key."
What's next: "We have an Illinois Accountability Commission that is now taking testimony and has a hearing on Thursday. I invite Gregory Bovino to testify at the [IAC] because he has some questions that he needs to answer for," Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.