In a dramatic confrontation in Mount Prospect, Illinois, residents loudly protested against masked federal immigration agents, using car horns and shouts to disrupt a Sunday operation aimed at detaining undocumented immigrants. This incident is part of the ongoing ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ which has intensified tensions between federal authorities and communities in the Chicago area.
On a rainy Sunday afternoon in the quiet suburb of Mount Prospect, panic spread as texts alerted neighbors to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Residents, including small business owner Dawn Ardito, rushed out to document and confront the agents, who were dressed in masks and fatigues and driving SUVs with tinted windows. A Homeland Security helicopter whirred overhead as around two dozen agents meandered through yards, according to images and interviews with residents.
The agents told residents they were searching for an ‘escaped criminal,’ variously described as a gang member, murder suspect, or sex offender. Mount Prospect police responded to a 911 call about a person running through a backyard but did not participate in the operation, citing Illinois state law and the Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE. Officer Greg Sill stated that officers left after confirming the presence of federal agents.
For more than an hour, residents screamed, videotaped, and tailed federal vehicles, raucously honking horns to signal that the operation was not welcome. Agents left the area after about two hours, and it remains unclear whether they arrested the person they were seeking. This form of community resistance has become familiar in the region, with groups like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights sending alerts about enforcement activity.
The incident is part of ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ launched by the Department of Homeland Security in early September to target undocumented immigrants with criminal histories. DHS claims the operation has resulted in hundreds of arrests, but it has also included detentions of non-criminals, such as a Back of the Yards tamale vendor and rideshare drivers at O’Hare Airport. Critics argue that the raids instill fear and disrupt communities, with reports of U.S. citizens being detained without cause.
Legal battles have ensued, with a federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order blocking federal agents from using excessive force or chemical agents against protesters and journalists. President Trump has asked the Supreme Court to allow the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, while state and city officials oppose the move, calling it an overreach of federal power. The conflict highlights the ongoing struggle over immigration enforcement in sanctuary cities.
The crackdown has profoundly affected immigrant communities, with many fearing to leave their homes. In Chicago, organizations distribute whistle kits to alert residents of ICE activity, and volunteers buy out street vendors’ goods to help them avoid detection. Despite these efforts, arrests continue, including a teenager detained on his way to school in Little Village, underscoring the pervasive anxiety.
As the situation evolves, community leaders emphasize the importance of solidarity and continued resistance. Dawn Ardito noted that the experience has bonded neighbors, who are now connected and seeking ways to protect their community. The events in Mount Prospect and across Chicago illustrate the deep societal divisions over immigration policy and the resilience of communities in the face of federal enforcement actions.