The Illinois Democratic congressional delegation on Tuesday sent a lengthy number of questions to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about deportation operations in Illinois, which they say have included arbitrary arrests and detentions without due process.
The letter also questions the “military-style tactics” of ICE agents and asks for a definitive answer into how many Illinois arrests have been made since federal authorities announced the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz” on Sept. 8 in an effort to “target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois.”
“As we have seen throughout the implementation of President Trump’s mass deportation scheme, DHS is not focusing on the ‘worst of the worst’ as claimed, but has instead mostly arrested hardworking immigrants with no criminal convictions,” the delegation wrote in a letter dated Tuesday. It goes on to say, “We urge you to end your dangerous operations in Illinois and provide our residents with transparency into these operations, including how they have siphoned resources from other federal law enforcement agencies that combat public safety threats in our communities.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has named dozens of immigrants who have been swept up — along with some who were arrested in other states. But the full scale of the operation remains unclear, and federal immigration officials won’t provide a full accounting of arrests. About half of the names and alleged charges released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as of last week couldn’t be definitively matched to court records by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The letter to Noem says members of Congress have been denied oversight at ICE facilities — and the lawmakers criticize DHS’ use of military-style tactics to break down doors, “with little transparency into the basis for such raids.”
They also take aim at Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief who is now overseeing operations in Illinois, calling his tactics “reckless and dangerous” and already subject to multiple lawsuits in California, alleging abuses.
The Democrats say there is no clear accounting of the number of arrests in Illinois, with officials estimating there have been between 400 and 550 arrests so far. And they make mention of the use of “mace and tear gas” by ICE agents at the agency’s processing facility in Broadview.
The delegation is asking Noem for the number of law enforcement officials from federal agencies who have been deployed to the efforts; details on the use of force within enforcement operations; their policy on the use of military equipment and gear for raids; guidance on third-party influencers and celebrities participating in or observing the raids; and their guidance on use of uniforms, badges, labels and gear.
It also asks Noem for her guidance on de-escalation techniques, what efforts have been made to coordinate with local officials, and a clear number of how many arrests have been made in Illinois from Sept. 5 to date.
The letter asks how many U.S. citizens have been arrested, how many are noncitizens with lawful status, how many are DACA recipients and how many had no criminal convictions.
And it inquires about arrests at churches, schools, health care facilities and businesses.
“We urge you to abandon your reckless operations in Illinois, provide much-needed transparency, and work with local leaders on efforts that actually improve community safety,” the delegation writes.
The Democrats requested a response from Noem by Oct. 7. The letter is signed by Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with all Democratic members of the Illinois delegation, including Reps. Danny Davis, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Jan Schakowsky, Bill Foster, Brad Schneider, Nikki Budzinski, Lauren Underwood, Eric Sorensen, Sean Casten, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Robin Kelly and Jonathan Jackson. The letter is also copied to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
