‘Operation Midway Blitz’: Trump administration launches Chicago ICE surge

President Donald Trump launched a law enforcement surge in Illinois this week to crack down on illegal immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security explained that “Operation Midway Blitz” was named in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old who was killed in January in a hit-and-run drunk driving accident caused by a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala.

‘That’s not war; that’s common sense.’

“This ICE operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets,” the DHS wrote in a social media post. “President Trump and Secretary Noem stand with the victims of illegal alien crime while Governor Pritzker stands with criminal illegal aliens.”

The Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement has focused its efforts on clamping down on sanctuary jurisdictions that protect criminal illegal aliens. This new option targets individuals in Illinois, including Chicago, a sanctuary city.

“In an ICE-led operation, we are here to remove these dangerous public safety threats from American communities,” ICE remarked.

Trump slammed Pritzker for stating he does not want help from the federal government to end violent crime in Chicago.

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

“6 people were murdered in Chicago this weekend, 12 others were shot, and in serious condition. This would mean that over the past number of weeks, approximately 50 people were killed, and hundreds were shot, many expected to die. Governor Pritzker just stated that he doesn’t want Federal Government HELP! WHY???” Trump questioned. “I want to help the people of Chicago, not hurt them. Only the Criminals will be hurt! We can move fast and stop this madness. The City and State have not been able to do the job. People of Illinois should band together and DEMAND PROTECTION. IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!!! ACT NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!”

Trump posted an apparent AI-generated photo on Truth Social showing himself, the Chicago skyline, a fire in the background, and helicopters overhead, with the words “Chipocalypse Now.”

“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

Pritzker pushed back on Trump’s claim that he wants to help the people of Chicago, citing the Truth Social post.

“‘I want to help people, not hurt them,’ says the guy who just threatened an American city with the Department of War,” the governor said.

RELATED: SCOTUS overrules lower court giving ICE a big win

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has also rejected Trump’s offers to help the city.

“The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution,” Johnson said. “We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump.”

When a reporter over the weekend asked Trump whether he was seeking to go to war with Chicago, the president corrected the record.

“We’re not going to war. We’re going to clean up our cities. We’re going to clean them up so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war; that’s common sense,” Trump declared.

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