Show notes
Midway Blitz’s aim was to “target” undocumented immigrants with serious criminal histories — “the worst of the worst,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said when announcing the initiative in early September.
Yet, neighbors saw immigration agents detain day laborers, construction and landscaping workers and street vendors, mothers and fathers, many of whom had no criminal history.
Federal agents often used violent and unlawful tactics during the operations, advocates and lawyers said. And they’ve “displayed a massive show of force,” said Mark Fleming, director of litigation for the National Immigrant Justice Center. Block Club Chicago was part of a team that found federal agents used chemical weapons on people in Chicago at least 49 times this fall.
Chicagoans had been preparing for a surge in immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump was reelected. The city has long been a target of Trump’s criticism, and his border czar, Tom Homan, promised that mass deportations would “start right here in Chicago.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 400 people in Chicago and in neighboring states during the 10 days after Trump’s January inauguration, according to records obtained by Block Club.
Still, Midway Blitz and At Large — and the chaotic, seemingly random arrests and violence that came with them — have exceeded Chicagoans’ expectations.
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Francia Garcia Hernandez
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Block Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.
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Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.
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