Illinois Commission Finds Federal Immigration Agents Used Illegal Force During Operation Midway Blitz

The Illinois Accountability Commission released its final report on Operation Midway Blitz, finding that federal immigration agents engaged in unconstitutional uses of force during the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement operation in Chicago last fall.

The commission found federal immigration agents engaged in dangerous high-speed vehicular pursuits, extreme physical force, indiscriminate use of chemical agents, shootings, beatings, and other violent acts, amounting to unconstitutional uses of force.

Governor JB Pritzker assembled the commission in October to investigate federal agents' conduct during Operation Midway Blitz after realizing the Trump administration was not holding agents accountable.

"These hearings and investigations demonstrated that Operation Midway Blitz was not an unfortunate collection of errors in judgment or limited abuses of power by individual bad actors," Pritzker said. "It was a carefully orchestrated, coordinated effort that started with Donald Trump and was executed by Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Tom Homan, Greg Bovino and others."

The commission conducted hearings and brought in witnesses and victims to speak about confrontations between residents and federal agents in Little Village, Lake View, Old Irving Park, East Side and Evanston.

The report names Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum, who allegedly shot Marimar Martinez five times after a car with three CBP agents collided with her vehicle on Oct 4 in Brighton Park. Martinez survived the shooting.

Other agents seen in several videos were not named because the commission lacked the power to investigate all the agents involved.

Judge Rubén Castillo, the commission's chair, said it is very clear the U.S. Justice Department will not investigate these agents. The report includes a letter referring charges to Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neills Burke, the Chicago Police Department, the Kane County state's attorney, and the Elgin, Franklin Park and Evanston police departments.

"The commission has done much of what is in its power to do, to lay the foundation for real accountability," Pritzker said. "It has gathered the evidence. It has heard from innocent victims. It has identified the culprits. But it will take the courage and conviction of all of us at every level of government to continue pressing forward, to ensure these findings are met with action."

The report includes recommendations for local, state and federal authorities. The Department of Homeland Security must rein in agents' use of chemical agents, physical force and vehicular pursuits.

The department should ensure all agents wear and use body worn cameras and prohibit agents from covering their faces and hiding their identity while on the job.

Congress must amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to end warrantless arrests for civil enforcement matters and prohibit discriminatory stops that rely on race, ethnicity, workplace, accent or language.

The state of Illinois should work with local governments and nonprofits to alleviate the economic damage caused by Operation Midway Blitz, expand access to legal services and family preparedness planning support, and prevent further disruption to civic life by immigration enforcement activities.

The commission interviewed more than 60 witnesses and reviewed about 100 hours of body-worn camera video from ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers. It also reviewed hundreds of hours of video from surveillance cameras, personal devices and social media.

The commission conducted public hearings and held listening sessions in different neighborhoods.

Cook County State's Attorney Burke said she can press charges against someone only if a local law enforcement agency reviews evidence and presents it to the state's attorney's office, per state law. Thus far, it has not received a request from law enforcement to review any investigation related to on-duty conduct of a federal immigration agent.

Burke issued a statement maintaining she cannot bring charges until she has received a completed investigation from a law enforcement agency.

"We commend the bravery of every witness who testified about their harrowing experiences before the Illinois Accountability Commission," Burke said. "We look forward to receipt of the full report and will work with our local, state, and county law enforcement to review the material."

The commission lacked both subpoena and prosecutorial power. It is now up to local law enforcement to carry on the commission's investigation.

The White House declined to comment on the findings. DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement to NBC News that the states do not have the authority to conduct an investigation into the actions of on-duty federal agents and called the findings of the commission nothing more than a political stunt by Illinois Sanctuary politicians.

The commission had invited ICE agents and officials from the Trump administration to testify in hearings about its findings but did not have the subpoena power to force them to appear. No federal officials or agents volunteered.

Operation Midway Blitz began in September 2025. The Department of Homeland Security stated the operation would target the worst of the worst. The operation targeted criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.

The operation resulted in the arrest of more than 4,500 illegal aliens according to the DHS. A Tribune analysis found only about 1.5 percent of those detained for immigration-related reasons had been convicted of a violent felony or sex crime.