How Chicago's preparing for the next DHS surge

When Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino left Chicago last fall, immigration officials warned the Sun-Times they'd return in March with a much bigger force.

Why it matters: Operation Midway Blitz triggered hundreds of complaints alleging civil, criminal and constitutional violations by immigration agents — complaints local officials are still reviewing.

• A new surge could restart the process, once again disrupting schools, businesses, courts and immigrant communities across the area.

State of play: A lot has changed since those warnings of a new spring surge.

• President Trump's approval rating on immigration plummeted after the DHS killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
• Trump has also removed three top immigration officials — Bovino, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin — from their jobs.

The questions: Given these shifts, will another operation really return to Chicago? And how have local leaders prepared for the possibility?

The short answer: Officials aren't commenting on a potential new surge.

• "Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country, including in Chicago. We do not discuss future or potential operations," DHS deputy assistant secretary Lauren Bis told Axios.
• "The Trump Administration does not communicate when and where they deploy masked agents to American communities," Gov. JB Pritzker's office told Axios, adding they learned about Midway Blitz through social media and a press release.

Moves to prepare for a surge:

Gov. Pritzker: "I formed the Illinois Accountability Commission to further expose how Trump militarized our neighborhoods, attacked our families and businesses, and violated fundamental American rights. We will do everything in our power to hold them accountable and keep them out of Illinois."

Cook County States Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke: "[We developed] a robust protocol that paves the way for our office to move forward with prosecuting ICE officers for on-duty conduct, in accordance with Illinois law."

• "[It's] been adopted by every prosecutor in the state, including the Attorney General, and serves as a model during these unprecedented times. No one is above the law — not ICE officers, and not prosecutors."

Mayor Brandon Johnson: "While we cannot speculate on Trump's intentions, we are engaged in constant preparation across departments ahead of potential re-escalation in Chicago. This includes continuing to disseminate Know Your Rights information and Family Preparedness resources while working with CPD to implement the necessary procedures to chart the path for accountability if federal agents break the law in our city."

Ald. Andre Vasquez: "I do have concerns about DHS returning in March, and believe the best thing we can do is support the rapid responder efforts." Vasquez is the chair of the City Council's Immigrant and Refugee Rights committee.

• "We have also submitted over a dozen new ordinances to get better reporting and accountability from the city in case there are more ICE incidents and interactions with city departments, including CPD."

Meanwhile, in Springfield, state senators are pushing for a bill to block Illinois law enforcement agencies from hiring anyone hired as an immigration officer by ICE between January 2025 and January 2029.