Deadly ICE shooting rocks Chicago amid immigration crackdown 'Midway Blitz'  

This week, Chicago has been at the center of a federal crackdown called Operation Midway Blitz — an immigration enforcement surge that’s brought more arrests than usual. Officials say they’re targeting undocumented immigrants who’ve committed crimes. But the rollout has sparked major backlash.   

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has made his stance clear, writing on X: “Chicago doesn’t want to see reckless, unconstitutional, militarized immigration enforcement in our city.”  

And here’s why that matters: fear spreads fast. Fear doesn’t stop at people without papers — it spills into entire communities. Parents worry about whether it’s safe to take their kids to school. Workers worry about getting to their jobs. Families feel the ripple effect, even if they’re not the ones ICE is looking for.  

But this story took a devastating turn Friday. Federal authorities say 38-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez resisted arrest, tried to flee, and dragged an ICE officer with his car. That officer then shot and killed him. The Department of Homeland Security says the agent feared for his life. 

Let’s be clear: no officer should have their safety put in jeopardy while doing their job. That’s not OK. Still, Gonzalez’s story doesn’t end there.  

Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez said he had just dropped his kids off at school before being shot. Think about that for a second — a father’s last moments happening right after he said goodbye to his children. Johnson called it an “avoidable tragedy.” Gov. JB Pritzker said, “The people of Illinois deserve a full, factual accounting of what’s happened today to ensure transparency and accountability.”  

The truth is, this isn’t the first time tragedy has followed these blitz-style operations. In Southern California, two immigrants died in recent months while trying to escape federal raids — one falling from a greenhouse roof, another struck by a car as he ran across a freeway.  

Here’s the bigger picture: immigration enforcement doesn’t have to look like this. If the goal is to keep violent offenders off the streets, then federal agents and local authorities need to work together instead of staging these surprise raids that escalate into chaos. With coordination, we can prevent more fathers from dying — and prevent more officers from being dragged by cars in the first place.  

At the end of the day, fighting crime takes more than a blitz. It takes long-term strategy, accountability and, yes, humanity. Fear might get you headlines, but coordination saves lives.  

Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.