Crime & Law
Mayor Johnson Urging ‘Midway Blitz’ Victims to File Reports With CPD for Further Investigation
An ICE officer watches protestors as a Lenco BearCat vehicle drives to the scene in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, after protesters learned that U.S. Border Patrol shot a woman Saturday morning on Chicago's Southwest Side. (Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging anyone who may have been victimized by federal immigration agents during “Operation Midway Blitz” to come forward and detail their experiences to the Chicago Police Department.
Johnson on Friday encouraged anyone who witnessed or experienced unlawful conduct during the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement operations last fall to file a first-person complaint and provide any evidence they may have to the CPD.
“Many people have understandable reasons to hesitate,” Johnson said in a statement. “They may fear retaliation, they may believe their voice will not matter, or they may simply want to move on from painful experiences. But accountability begins with people who are willing to tell the truth about what happened.”
Johnson’s statement comes almost three months after the Illinois Accountability Commission detailed a “public record of abuses” committed by Trump officials after federal immigration agents repeatedly used physical force and tear gas against Chicagoans throughout the city.
That commission urged local law enforcement to investigate alleged incidents further.
According to the mayor, the CPD is now reviewing the commission’s findings and will evaluate any additional evidence provided by residents to determine if further investigations or referrals are warranted under state law.
Community advocates for months have pushed for criminal charges to be filed against federal agents, including those who fatally shot Silverio Villegas González in suburban Franklin Park and critically wounded Marimar Martinez in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood.
But Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has maintained that her office is unable to bring charges unless first presented with evidence by law enforcement.
In May, the Illinois State Police launched an investigation into the killing of Villegas González, and O’Neill Burke’s office said it would play a “supportive role.”
Thus far, no charges stemming from a CPD investigation have been filed.
According to Johnson’s office, residents may visit any CPD district station to file an information report or call 311 to begin the reporting process. Anyone who does come forward is asked to bring any photos, videos or other evidence relating to their allegations to police so it may be properly documented and preserved.
“The City recognizes that recounting traumatic experiences can be difficult,” Johnson’s office said in a statement. “Every report received will help ensure the historical record is as complete as possible, and that allegations of unlawful conduct are evaluated based on all available evidence.”
