ICE arrests over 800 in Illinois amid protests and sanctuary policies

CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — The Department of Homeland Security provided an update to its ongoing "Operation Midway Blitz" on Wednesday, saying over 800 criminal illegal aliens have been arrested despite both the state's sanctuary policies and violent protests.

According to DHS, "Operation Midway Blitz" was launched in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunk driving crash by Julio Cucul-Bol, and specifically targets criminals who flocked to Chicago and Illinois seeking protection from deportation by the sanctuary policies of Gov. JB Pritzker.

"During Operation Midway Blitz, DHS law enforcement has made more than 800 arrests across Illinois. The Trump Administration will not allow violent criminals or repeat offenders to terrorize our neighborhoods or victimize our children and innocent Americans,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We will not allow sanctuary politicians or violent rioters to stop us from enforcing the law and arresting pedophiles, murderers, gang members, rapists, and domestic abusers from American communities.” 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol provided examples of recent arrests, including:

• Cristobal Carias Masin, of El Salvador, convicted of statutory rape, fraud, and aggravated felony.
• Stefan Cseve, of Austria, convicted of sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, numerous sexual predator in a public park offenses, child sex offender loitering, in violation of the sex offender registry and currently charged with murder, rape or sexual abuse of a minor. 
• Wajciech Janik, of Poland,  arrested for DUI and strongarm aggravated assault against a family member. 
• Eduardo Sandoval-Secundino, of Mexico, convicted of two counts of driving under the influence of liquor and possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and felony carrying a handgun while in possession of methamphetamine.
• Arminas Lubianskas, of Lithuania, previously arrested for burglary, and is currently removable as he overstayed his visa that expired in 2016. 
• Pedro Juan Avalos-Quezada, of Mexico, convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon, driving under the influence of liquor, trespassing and traffic offense. 
• Ricardo Pichardo-Zambrano, of Mexico, convicted of theft and use of a vehicle in another crime and illegal entry.
• Carlos Rene Contreras, of Honduras, convicted on two counts of illegal re-entry and was previously removed three times. 
• Refugio Ramirez-Larios, of Mexico, convicted of weapon offense, crimes against a person, concealing homicidal death, traffic offenses, felony possession of a weapon, and possession of cocaine. 
• Angel Galindo Viveros, of Mexico, convicted of armed carjacking, armed criminal action, driving a vehicle without a license, possession of a firearm by a felon, robbery and traffic offense.
• Yushell Alejandro Yin Del Toro, of Mexico, convicted of domestic violence, battery, two counts of resisting an officer, and two pending charges of assault. 
• Erick Antonio Huerta-Rojas, of Mexico, convicted of driving under the influence of liquor, traffic offense, and a second pending charge of driving under the influence of liquor. 
• Yeik Michelle Ramirez-Alvarez, of Mexico, convicted of armed robbery with a firearm. 
• Juan Jose Sanchez-Contreras, of Mexico, convicted of possession of cocaine. 
• Alejandro Bernal, of Mexico, convicted of larceny, property damage, shoplifting, two counts of trespassing, and illegal re-entry.
• Blanca Cecillia Sanchez-Sanchez, of Venezuela and a confirmed Tren de Aragua gang member. 

In response to the large-scale ICE operation, protesters have targeted a federal facility in Broadview, chanting "shoot ICE" and confronting agents.

On Friday, agents repeatedly fired chemical agents toward a crowd of over 100 protesters after some of the group attempted to block a car from driving down a street toward the ICE building. Pepper bullets and tear gas canisters went into the crowd, most of them standing away from the fence and not blocking traffic.

CBS News Chicago and the Broadview Police Department have launched an investigation after a reporter’s car was struck by a chemical munition outside the facility.

Illinois effectively banned immigration detention in 2021, when it ended local cooperation agreements between the federal government and county jails. Illinois barred private detention in 2019 following failed attempts to build a new detention facility and there are no federal immigration detention centers in the state.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker countered by saying,“We have received many reports of US citizens being detained for simply stepping onto the public streets,” adding that “sixty percent of the individuals that ICE has taken in Illinois this year have no criminal convictions of any kind.”

In Chicago on Sunday, dozens of armed federal agents, in full tactical gear, walked the streets of some of the city’s most prominent tourist and shopping areas.

Pritzker has maintained that current ICE operations are a provocation, hoping to enflame a violent response so that President Donald Trump can send the military to Chicago, under the pretext of supporting federal agents.

“In any other country, if federal agents fired upon journalists and protesters unprovoked, what would we call it?” Pritzker asked Monday. “If federal agents march down busy streets, harassing civilians and demanding their papers, what would we say? I don’t think we’d have any trouble calling it what it is: authoritarianism.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.