ICE Raids Architect Lands in Chicago as Trump Admin Launches ‘Midway Blitz’

The architect of California’s high-profile immigration enforcement raids has arrived in Chicago, signaling a major escalation in the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown on criminal illegal aliens this time targeting America’s most defiant sanctuary city.

Gregory Bovino, the no-nonsense immigration official behind ICE’s aggressive “Operation At-Large” in Los Angeles, has reportedly relocated to Illinois to help lead “Operation Midway Blitz,” a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) effort aimed squarely at removing the “worst of the worst” from Chicago’s streets.

“We’re taking the show on the road,” Bovino said earlier this month. “Trading palm trees for skyscrapers.”

Bovino isn’t just another federal agent. With his background in Border Patrol operations, high-profile arrests, and tough-on-illegal-immigration tactics, he’s become a symbol of the Trump administration’s approach to law and order. Known for his social media photos featuring tactical gear and M4 rifles, Bovino is unapologetic about his mission and the Left hates him for it.

He previously led ICE operations at MacArthur Park, Home Depot lots, and farms around Bakersfield, California, earning a reputation as someone who gets results and who doesn’t back down when politics gets in the way of justice.

Now, he’s bringing that same energy to Chicago.

What you need to know:

• Operation Midway Blitz was launched by DHS in honor of Katie Abraham, a woman killed in Illinois by an illegal immigrant drunk driver.

• The operation targets criminal illegal aliens, including Iraqi national Abdul Raza Al Kaby, who was ordered deported in 1997 but was repeatedly released by Illinois judges despite active ICE detainers.

• A naval station in Waukegan is reportedly serving as a federal staging ground for the operation, housing hundreds of agents and vehicles.

• The move comes as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker a 2028 presidential hopeful faces backlash for policies that turned the state into a “magnet for criminals,” according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“No city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return,” McLaughlin declared.

Bovino’s presence in Chicago was unofficially confirmed, though Border Patrol sources kept details close to the chest. When asked about his involvement, a spokesperson simply said “Stay tuned.”

Governor Pritzker wasn’t thrilled. Speaking outside a Mexican art museum, he complained that Bovino’s arrival was “evidence that they have terrible plans for the communities of Illinois.” But many in those same communities might disagree especially those tired of violent criminals being shielded by sanctuary laws.

Chicago, long proud of its status as a “welcoming city,” has become the poster child for progressive dysfunction:

• Over 40,000 illegal immigrants have flooded into the city in just two years, straining public services, housing, and law enforcement.

• Local courts routinely ignore ICE detainers, releasing violent offenders back into the community.

• Dozens of repeat offenders, including those convicted of assault and attempted murder, remain in the U.S. despite deportation orders.

Bovino has said what many Americans are thinking. “What happens at the border doesn’t stay at the border.”

And now, the consequences of open-borders policies are hitting cities like Chicago head-on.

For the Trump administration, this isn’t just about immigration enforcement it’s about restoring order and justice in cities run by weak leaders who care more about virtue signaling than protecting their own citizens.

And as 2024 draws closer, it’s clear: the American people are demanding action. Not platitudes. Not sanctuary slogans. Real enforcement. Real consequences.

Gregory Bovino is in Chicago. And the Midway Blitz is just beginning.

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