I rarely highlight a single news article as the basis of an entire post, but I make exceptions for the exceptional. The Chicago Tribune published a deeply reported investigation into Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” a 64-day enforcement operation that Trump himself characterized online as a military attack on a Democratic city. What makes this piece essential reading is how well it documents the gap between what the Trump administration claims about its enforcement priorities and the human cost of what actually happened on the ground.
Let’s start with the numbers. The Department of Homeland Security claims the operation resulted in more than 4,500 arrests and that it targeted “the worst of the worst” criminals. But a Tribune analysis of government data covering the first half of the operation found that only about 1.5% of those detained had been convicted of a violent felony or sex crime. At least 10 American citizens were falsely charged with federal crimes during the operation, with charges later dropped or dismissed.
These findings align with the national patterns I’ve been documenting throughout the year. As of December 13, 35% of people in ICE detention nationwide had no criminal charges or convictions, a number that has grown significantly each month of the first year of the administration. This represents a population that has grown 28 times since January 12, the last date before Trump took office. Chicago’s operation reflects this broader shift: enforcement that claims to prioritize public safety but in practice targets immigrants regardless of criminal history.