Midway Blitz: ICE Crackdown Nets Violent Offenders Amid Chicago Sanctuary Standoff
Federal immigration agents apprehended multiple foreign nationals with violent criminal histories across Chicago on Nov. 19, marking a significant escalation in “Operation Midway Blitz.” The enforcement surge comes amidst ongoing tension between the Department of Homeland Security and Illinois state and local leadership regarding sanctuary policies.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched the operation in honor of Katie Abraham, an Illinois woman killed by an impaired driver who was unlawfully present in the country. While ICE describes the initiative as a necessary public safety measure, the agency notes it is operating against a backdrop of resistance from local administrations, including those of Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
On Tuesday alone, agents from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested six individuals with convictions ranging from armed robbery to sexual abuse of a minor.
Among those taken into custody was Angel Gonzalez Di Luca, a 27-year-old Venezuelan national. According to ICE reports, Gonzalez Di Luca had previously been convicted of domestic violence involving strangulation. During the operation, he attempted to flee agents on foot but was quickly apprehended. Officials stated he had originally entered the U.S. at an unverified location and was released into the interior under current federal “catch and release” protocols without reporting to ICE.
Agents also arrested Juan Toledo Vasquez, a 54-year-old Mexican national with a conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a child. Records indicate Toledo Vasquez had also been charged with possessing a fraudulent ID and had been deported from the U.S. twice before, in 2000 and 2007.
Other arrests on Nov. 19 included:
- Jose Juarez Soto (31, Mexico): Convicted of domestic battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. Soto had previously been granted a voluntary return to Mexico in 2010 but re-entered the country unlawfully.
- Hector Teja Solis (34, Mexico): Apprehended following a conviction for armed robbery resulting in bodily injury.
- Miguel Angel Portillo Pacheco (29, El Salvador): A repeat offender convicted of domestic battery, assault, and armed robbery. ICE officials noted they encountered him at the McHenry County Jail, but he was released after serving his sentence rather than being turned over to immigration authorities.
- Domingo Sanchez Hernandez (47, Mexico): Arrested with a standing final order of removal issued in August 2024. His record includes a DUI conviction and multiple arrests for domestic battery.
Sam Olson, Field Office Director for ERO Chicago, framed the operation as a response to gaps in local law enforcement cooperation.
“These arrests are a drop in the bucket,” Olson said in a statement following the sweep. “ICE Chicago is out doing targeted enforcement every day to protect people where their local leaders have failed, and we’ve arrested thousands of dangerous criminal aliens. Make no mistake: These are criminals, and if local officials had called ICE before releasing them, they’d be in their home countries rather than victimizing innocent people here in the United States.”
All six individuals remain in federal custody awaiting immigration proceedings or removal.
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