CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino has returned to Chicago, reaffirming his earlier pledge that his departure from a two-month immigration enforcement operation did not signal its end. Bovino, a central figure in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, is once again overseeing expanded enforcement efforts in the nation’s third-largest city. His return follows continued operations in other regions, including New Orleans, where he reported that agents have made 350 arrests as part of the broader initiative.
Federal officials have indicated that enforcement activity is again intensifying in Chicago, where agents previously made more than 4,000 arrests between early September and late October. That earlier phase of the operation sparked strong opposition from local residents and state and city leaders, including Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker. Known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” the effort also triggered a federal lawsuit naming Bovino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants, alleging excessive force against clergy, journalists, and protesters. The legal battle remains ongoing after an Illinois appellate court temporarily blocked a lower court order that had restricted agents’ use of force, prompting plaintiffs to seek dismissal of the case while the stay is in effect.