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CHICAGO (WLS) — The Department of Homeland Security announced the immigration operation “Midway Blitz” in Chicago and Illinois on Monday.
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The operation is “in honor of” 20-year-old Katherine Abraham, who died in an alleged drunk driving hit-and-run crash in Urbana, Illinois, DHS said.

Katie Abraham died in an alleged drunk driving hit-and-run car wreck in Urbana, Illinois in January 2025.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Chloe Polzin, 21 of Deerfield, was also killed in the crash, which happened on Jan. 19 at about 1:55 a.m., according to Urbana police.
Abraham and Polzin were at a traffic signal with three other passengers when Julio Cucul Bol, a 29-year-old citizen of Guatemala, drove a red Mitsubishi Outlander into them while traveling at about 80 mph, police said.
Polzin died at the hospital, and Abraham died at the scene, authorities said.
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Cucul Bol was allegedly on a bus heading to Matamoros, Mexico when he was arrested on Jan. 22 near Dallas, Texas. At the time, officials said, he had fake Mexican papers under the name Juan JaHaziel Saenz-Suarez.
Cucul Bol was charged with leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless homicide in connection with the deadly crash.
The Department of Justice also charged Cucul Bol with possessing a false permanent resident card, possessing a false Social Security card, false use of a passport and making a false statement on a bank application.
“This ICE operation will target the 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,” a DHS spokesperson said on Monday.
“This operation will target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Chicago,” said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Operation “Midway Blitz” comes as some 300 federal agents are using North Chicago’s Naval Station Great Lakes as the logistical hub for ramped-up operations.
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A spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, issued a statement, saying, “The Governor’s Office has received no formal communication or information from the Trump Administration. Like the public and press, we are learning of their operations through their social media as they attempt to produce a reality television show. As Trump has said himself, this is not about seriously fighting crime or reforming immigration – it’s about Trump’s plan to go to war with America’s third-largest city. If he cared about delivering real solutions for Illinois, then we would have heard from him. Unlike Trump’s reality show, we don’t like keeping people in the dark. Since we have learned of the Trump Administration’s plans to deploy federal agents and active-duty military to Illinois, Gov. Pritzker has shared information with the public and the Governor’s Office has remained in regular contact with leaders and partners at the City of Chicago, Cook County, the Illinois congressional delegation, state legislature, and mayors and representatives from the collar counties.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also issued a statement, saying, “We have received no notice of any enhanced immigration action by the Trump administration. We are concerned about potential militarized immigration enforcement without due process because of ICE’s track record of detaining and deporting American citizens and violating the human rights of hundreds of detainees. ICE sent a 4-year-old boy with stage 4 kidney cancer to Honduras, even though the child was an American citizen. There are more than 500 documented incidents of human rights abuses at detention facilities since Trump took office, including deaths of detainees and alleged cases of sexual abuse of minors by federal immigration agents. Because of these incidents and more, we remain opposed to militarized immigration enforcement that runs afoul of the Constitution in our city. We encourage residents to visit www.Chicago.gov/KYR to stay informed on their rights.”
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