ICE Says 81% of Operation Midway Blitz Arrests Had No Convictions, Denies Detaining U.S. Citizens

In responses to Sen. Dick Durbin and the Illinois congressional delegation dated April 13, ICE acknowledged that approximately 81% of the 4,570 people arrested during Operation Midway Blitz between September 5 and February 17 had no criminal convictions — contradicting federal officials’ repeated claims that the aggressive Chicago operation targeted “the worst of the worst.” Interim director Todd Lyons also maintained that no U.S. citizens were arrested despite documented reports to the contrary. The data came nearly seven months after Durbin’s initial request.