Full Breakdown
Operation Midway Blitz: One Year Later – Economic Fallout and Ongoing Accountability Gaps
9/10/2026, 2:26:25 AM
Core Event
Later in 2025, the federal government launched Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago and its suburbs, deploying hundreds of ICE and Border Patrol agents to detain undocumented immigrants. DHS reported more than 45,000 arrests, while local reporting cited 4,500 detentions and 2,500 deportations. The operation lasted roughly ten weeks, ending in mid-November, but its effects continue to reverberate.
Background & Context
The campaign followed President Donald Trump’s second-term promises to intensify deportations and dismantle sanctuary policies. Executive orders signed in April 2025 targeted sanctuary cities and expanded federal authority to conduct raids in schools, churches, and neighborhoods. DHS framed the surge as a crackdown on the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens.
Data & Statistics
- The Great Cities Institute estimated $1.26 billion in lost retail and restaurant spending and $107 million in foregone sales-tax revenue across Cook County.
- Anonymized cellphone data showed roughly 25 million fewer cross-community shopping and dining trips, a decline of about 9 % for retail and 10 % for restaurants.
- Suburban visits fell 12.8 %, more than double the 6.2 % decline inside Chicago proper.
Impact on Local Businesses
Business owners in Little Village, Pilsen, and Brighton Park report dramatic revenue drops.
- Michelle Macias, owner of Carnicería y Taquería Aguascalientes, says the corridor lost its out-of-town weekend crowd, resulting in a 60 %–70 % decline in sales.
- Yadira Rojo, manager of Supermercado El Ranchito, notes families avoid public spaces for fear of detention.
- Angelina Mendez, proprietor of La Chaparrita Grocery, says regular customers have halved.
- Daniela Martinez, a Brighton Park resident, now shops only in the evenings after her partner’s detention.
- Street-vendor Juana Morales reports cutting tomato sales in half because residents stay home.
Official Statements & Responses
- Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and former Education Secretary Arne Duncan highlighted the broader tax-base impact.
- The Illinois State Police opened an investigation into the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park.
- Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced new guidance allowing the office to step in with grand-jury authority when local agencies cannot secure evidence.
Criticism & Opposition
- “The focus should be on policies and programs that are welcoming of immigrants and enable them to work and thrive in this country,” — Fred Tsao
- Matt Wilson, senior associate director at the Great Cities Institute, said the biggest change is the weakened connection between high Latin-America-born neighborhoods and the wider Cook County economy.
- “In the past two weeks we had about three incidents here in Little Village where they are chasing down people, trying to go into people's homes,” — Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Detention figures differ sharply: DHS cites >45,000 arrests, ABC 7 reports >4,500, and the Chicago Tribune notes 2,500 deportations. The foot-traffic analysis excludes cash-only and home-based businesses, a limitation noted by co-author José Miguel Acosta-Córdova.
What’s Next
- An April 13 letter from ICE’s former acting director to Illinois congressional leaders acknowledged that about 80 % of those detained had no criminal convictions.
- The Illinois State Police investigation into the González shooting remains open, with no public conclusion as of the one-year anniversary.
- Cook County’s State’s Attorney office is prepared to impanel grand juries when evidence collection stalls, signaling a potential escalation in prosecutorial action.
