United States Customs and Border Protection has deployed boats along the Chicago River as part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ongoing “Operation Midway Blitz” in the area.
The operation, which began last month despite opposition from local Democratic leaders, has resulted in more than 500 arrests, including individuals with serious prior convictions and active criminal charges.
“Lakes and rivers are borders too… Wherever the border’s at, that’s where Border Patrol is gonna be,” CBP Commander Gregory Bovino told Fox News Channel. Chicago sits just a few hundred miles from Canada, and the river connects to the Great Lakes, specifically Lake Michigan.
Border Patrol boats are now active on the Chicago River, extending the agency’s enforcement reach. USBP Chief Michael Banks shared on X, “Where streets end, our Marine Unit begins. On the Chicago River, CBP leadership stays vigilant. Our ability to patrol on the water extends the reach of enforcement.”
CBP Air and Marine Operations Executive Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Miller also posted a video from one of the boats, noting that “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago “is as vital as anywhere else in the country! We will not back down.”
Democrats continue to criticize the federal immigration operation. Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Illinois, recently stated that President Donald Trump “has terrorized immigrant communities” over the past eight months amid nationwide deportations.
Trump has indicated he may escalate the effort by deploying National Guard troops to Chicago in an attempt to address crime. However, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that such a move would “impose his authoritarian rule on big cities across the United States,” maintaining his refusal to cooperate with the federal government on the initiative.
Meanwhile, President Trump announced that Memphis, Tennessee, is next in line for National Guard deployment.
Washington, D.C., the first city to implement the National Guard strategy, continues to maintain a strong federal law enforcement presence. The approach has received some praise from Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, particularly due to a reported reduction in crime despite early criticism.
President Trump emphasized earlier this month, “We’re going to clean up our cities. We’re going to clean them up so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war. That’s common sense.”
