A year after Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, ICE says it targeted "the worst of the worst", but the conviction rate among detainees fell to 15%. Crackdown, or dragnet?
The 68-day 2025 operation detained 3,841 people and deported 2,732; a year later, local reporting shows the conviction rate among detainees dropped sharply from 50% to 15%, and community fallout continues.
What happened
Operation Midway Blitz ran September 8–November 14, 2025, deploying ICE and Border Patrol agents across Chicago with helicopters and unmarked vehicles. It detained 3,841 people (ages 2 to 76) and deported 2,732, and included the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas González by an ICE officer during a traffic stop.
Why people disagree
The administration frames the operation as removing dangerous criminals from a 'sanctuary city.' Critics point to the falling conviction rate among those arrested, reports of unsanitary, overcrowded conditions at the Broadview facility, and the trauma inflicted on immigrant families.
What's still unclear
It's unclear how many deportees will attempt to return, whether similar operations are planned for other cities, and whether the shooting death of Villegas González will lead to any accountability.
Sources
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