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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that violent crime in Chicago has dropped sharply since the start of the federal crackdown known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” and he credited efforts led by the Department of Homeland Security with driving shootings and robberies throughout the Windy City.
The president’s post on Truth Social claimed shootings were down 35%, robberies were down 41%, and car thefts were down nearly 50% since the operation began several weeks ago.
“This was achieved despite extraordinary resistance from the radical Democratic leadership in Chicago and Illinois,” Trump wrote.
The post marks the president’s first public update on the initiative since late October, when the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest of nine people, including three undocumented immigrants, following what officials described as “one of the most violent days” in the operation.
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President Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday about the positive progress being made in Chicago against crime thanks to Operation Midway Blitz. (Craig Hudson/POLITICO/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to Department of Homeland Security data obtained by Fox News Digital, agents encountered multiple assaults and vehicle rammings during coordinated raids on October 22 in the Chicago suburbs of Cicero and Glendale Heights.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin described it as “one of the most violent days we have seen,” confirming that one agent was injured and several patrol units were damaged. The raids targeted violent criminals and previously deported foreign nationals with criminal records.
The operation bears its namesake in honor of Katie Abraham, a Chicago-area resident who was killed in September in a hit-and-run involving a suspected illegal immigrant.
DHS marks ‘one of most violent days’ in Operation Midway Blitz with numerous arrests
While President Trump did not personally name Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Illinois Democrat has strongly opposed the reforms the Trump administration has imposed in the Windy City. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo)
The “Midway Blitz,” launched in September, is part of a broader Department of Homeland Security initiative aimed at “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in Illinois sanctuary,” according to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who said suspects who attacked agents “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Trump’s post also reignited tensions with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have previously opposed large-scale immigration raids. The president accused them of obstructing law enforcement and “encouraging violent resistance against ICE officers.”
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has put President Donald Trump in his proverbial crosshairs before on social media as well. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump said the next phase of the “Midway Blitz” would include a “complete surge” of federal agents in Chicago and Memphis, claiming that the first wave had already achieved measurable results.
“As more assets increase, these numbers will continue to decline,” he wrote on Tuesday.
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The Illinois Governor’s Office and the Chicago Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. The White House directed Fox News Digital to revert to the president’s comments on Truth Social.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.