In a decisive move on Friday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s special commission, established to ensure accountability for the Department of Homeland Security’s “Midway Blitz” immigration operation in the Chicago area, took a significant step forward. The commission is determined to shed light on the operation and its implications.
The Illinois Accountability Commission, led by its chairman, has formally requested testimony from both current and former officials of the Trump administration later this month. This call to action aims to delve into the details of the operation, hoping to prevent future large-scale immigration enforcement activities. Local leaders and community activists are optimistic that bringing these actions to light will help safeguard their communities.
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Among those summoned to testify is Greg Bovino, the former Border Patrol Commander-at-large, whose role in “Midway Blitz” has made him a prominent figure associated with the operation. The commission has reached out to eight individuals in total, seeking their firsthand accounts.
Meanwhile, in Chicago’s vibrant Little Village neighborhood, the streets were alive with the usual hustle and bustle on Friday, a testament to the community’s resilience and spirit. This lively scene contrasts sharply with the eerie quiet that settled over the area during the “Midway Blitz,” when fear kept many residents indoors.
Street vendor Isabella Barraza noted, “I don’t think it’s half as normal as it used to be. There used to be way more people roaming the streets, right?” Her observation underscores the community’s struggle to return to its former vibrancy following the operation.
During the heightened enforcement activities, the lively rhythm of daily life came to an abrupt halt, as fear gripped the neighborhood and kept its residents from venturing outside.
“They were staying home because they were fearful. And I’m not talking about undocumented residents. I’m talking about people with legal paperwork, people who are here on visas, people are here who are citizens of United States,” said 22nd Ward Ald. Mike Rodriguez.
“I think there’s still a lot of people that are scared, a lot of people that haven’t come out. I know we used to make way more money at the stand. It’s been a little slow,” Barraza said.
Now, the Illinois Accountability Commission has scheduled a pair of hearings for later this month.
The commission sent letters to current or former officials in the Trump administration, inviting them to appear virtually or in person, “to provide testimony and answer questions about the policies, directives, and decision-making processes that shaped Operation Midway Blitz.” The letters were sent to Bovino, Stephen Miller, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, Tricia McLaughlin, Corey Lewandowski, Todd Lyons, and Rodney Scott.
“If they’re about accountability, I dare them to show up,” Rodriguez said. “They should show up in front of the citizens of Illinois and tell us why they caused this mayhem to our businesses and to our residents.”
Baltazar Enriquez with the Little Village Community Council spent countless days organizing volunteers to alert residents to the presence of ICE and Border Patrol agents.
“We know that their commission doesn’t have teeth, but it’s a step towards some type of justice, some type of clarity of who gave out the orders, who’s the one that pushed these tactics into the community,” Enriquez said.
He and others hope the hearings can make some difference regardless of whether Bovino, former DHS Secretary Noem, or the other officials show up.
“We got to put them on blast. We’ve got to put them on notice that we are watching, that we will hold them accountable, and in the future, look, I think in a different administration, we need to talk about prosecution here,” Rodriguez said.
While it seems highly unlikely that any of those officials invited to testify will actually show up, the hearings, set for April 27 and 28, will still go on as planned, providing another opportunity to publicly document the impact of operation “Midway Blitz.”
Pritzker issued a statement, saying, “I established the Illinois Accountability Commission to preserve the truth and document how Donald Trump and his accomplices violated the rights of Illinoisans and terrorized our communities during Operation Midway Blitz. These officials should answer directly to the people of Illinois for the chaos and violence they unleashed. Regardless of whether these officials are still in their roles or not, the people of Illinois demand accountability from them all.”
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