Detained by ICE in Chicago: Who's Affected?

Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago Suburbs Sparks Concerns

On Tuesday morning, agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made a dramatic entrance into Chicago suburbs, aiming to arrest individuals accused of committing crimes while living in the country illegally. This operation, dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz," has raised questions about the criteria used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify those targeted.

The ABC7 I-Team has been closely following the arrests made by ICE, seeking to understand who these individuals are and why they were taken into custody. The operation began on September 6, and since then, over 250 people have been arrested, according to U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D), who serves on the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee.

Underwood revealed that ICE leadership provided limited details about the individuals being targeted during a briefing on Monday. She expressed concerns about the lack of transparency, stating that if someone was arrested but not charged locally, and was not a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the country, they could be pursued by ICE. She mentioned that ICE receives regular updates from a centralized database, but the specifics remain unclear.

One of the individuals arrested during the operation was Aldo Salazar Bahena, who was convicted of murder in 2005 and released from Statesville Correctional Center just four days before his arrest. According to acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons, Bahena was held in one of Illinois’ maximum-security prisons for two decades for murder, but the state refused to transfer him directly to ICE custody. The Illinois Department of Corrections did not respond to inquiries about Bahena’s release.

In its initial announcement of the Chicago operation, the Department of Homeland Security named and pictured at least half a dozen men, all allegedly from Venezuela or Mexico, with descriptions of violent criminal convictions. However, the I-Team found no records of any convictions connected to these names when they checked with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, jail, the State's Attorney's Office, and the Clerk of Court's office.

The lack of information has left many families in the dark. Vanessa Morales-Coix, a close friend of one of the arrested individuals, Jose Morales, shared her emotional response to the situation. She described how difficult it was to see her family friend detained, especially since he had a work permit and had lived in Elgin with his cousin for as long as she could remember.

Morales-Coix emphasized that neither she nor her family believed that the individuals targeted were criminals. She expressed concern about the impact on families, particularly those who are fathers or mothers. “It’s hard. It’s really hard,” she said.

Representative Underwood called the operation “crazy” and highlighted the uncertainty surrounding its duration. She mentioned that ICE officials informed her that there is no set end date for the operation, and it is expected to cover all of Illinois and Lake County, Indiana. She encouraged families and friends of those detained to reach out to their lawmakers for support.

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that those arrested will be held in Indiana and Wisconsin. However, many families are struggling to obtain information about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Morales-Coix noted that the situation is deeply troubling, especially for those who are part of the community and have strong ties to the area.

As the operation continues, questions about the fairness and transparency of ICE’s actions remain unanswered. The lack of clear communication from federal authorities has left many in the community feeling anxious and uncertain about the future.