Border Patrol, DHS planning key to Operation Midway Blitz success
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MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. () As multiple federal immigration agencies work together to go after what the Trump administration considers the “worst of the worst,” advanced planning remains critical for officers and agents carrying out their mission.

got an exclusive look at U.S. Border Patrol agents arresting two migrants being targeted by federal agents in suburban Mount Prospect, Illinois, as part of Operation Midway Blitz. One of the men, a Mexican national, was taken into custody after previously being convicted of felony counterfeiting, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Another man was also taken into custody as a what federal officials consider a collateral arrest because officials say he has remained in the United States illegally.

The arrests were completed Thursday in less than five minutes, which Border Patrol officials told is a testimony to the prep work that goes into their targeted enforcement operations.

“Agents today proved what can happen when you do your homework, you target correctly, and the team works together in a seamless manner,” Border Patrol Assistant Chief Max Lopez said. “Everything was done properly, humanely (and) by the book. It was a flawless execution.”

That textbook execution takes place when arrests can be made quietly and with little to no disruption to community life in places like suburban Chicago, Lopez said. On Thursday, the two men were taken into custody after complying with the orders of Border Patrol agents, who made the arrests after a traffic stop.

Border Patrol agents execute a targeted traffic stop that led to the arrest of two men who were being sought by the Department of Homeland Security. ( video).

Both men will remain in federal custody pending immigration proceedings.

Mount Prospect police said in a social media statement Thursday night that local officials were not aware that federal agents would be working in the area Friday.

The department stated it is never contacted by federal law enforcement agencies like the Border Patrol ahead of conducting any planned immigration enforcement operations. The statement also reminded local residents that the Illinois Trust Act prohibits local law enforcement agencies from participating in immigration enforcement. However, police officials said that they will not interfere with or prevent federal law enforcement officers from carrying out immigration enforcement operations.

“Our mission remains focused on community safety and serving all members of our community with fairness, tolerance and equality,” Mount Prospect police said.

How does planning factor into Operation Midway Blitz’s success rate?

Operation Midway Blitz is taking a holistic approach to going after those being targeted by the Department of Homeland Security around Chicago. In addition to an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies are involved in the ongoing operation.

DHS officials told the Associated Press on Friday that more than 400 people have been taken into custody since the operation began last week. However, the crackdown on immigration enforcement has sparked protests across Chicago and its suburbs, including Friday at a suburban ICE processing center.

Border Patrol officials, like Lopez, said that they consider each arrest they make part of the overall mission of removing migrants with criminal convictions or pending charges from local streets.

“When everyone is working together, all of our partner organizations are working together in the same lockstep, things come out correctly,” Lopez said. “We saw that today, and I couldn’t be prouder of the guys that were out there making it happen, completing the mission and making sure that the policies and the laws and everything that is in place now are being executed.”

Part of the planning of each operation involves keeping federal officers and agents safe. previously reported that local communities are putting residents on alert that more federal immigration officers and agents are in the area.

Some Chicago neighborhoods have handed out whistles, which are blown to help detect ICE and other federal agencies.

Local lawmakers, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, have harshly criticized the ongoing operation. Elected officials have complained about masked federal officers wearing masks and not properly identifying themselves and making arrests without warrants.

For Lopez and his agents, building those issues into their operational planning is key.

“We always prepare for the worst-case scenario,” Lopez told . “We’re always wishing it doesn’t (happen), but we always want to be prepared.”

How long that last remains undetermined. Local lawmakers are anticipating that the ongoing operation could last up to 45 days. However, DHS officials said this week that they will remain in the greater Chicago area until their job is done.

“We’re going to do everything we can to accomplish the mission,” Lopez told . “And we’re going to be here.”

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