Chicago – In the wake of threats from the White House to deploy National Guard Soldiers to crack down on crime in Chicago, federal officers and protestors continue to face off outside the Broadview, Illinois, detention facility.
President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office of the White House on September 2nd, told the nation that he would deploy National Guardsmen to bring down crime and further his ongoing deportation efforts within the city.
A meme, posted by President Trump to his Truth Social on September 6th, stated that Chicago was “about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR [sic]” and stirred up passions within the city itself.
Days later, the administration had launched Operation Midway Blitz, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting illegal immigrants within the city and igniting strong reactions within the residents.
Army and Air Force veteran and candidate for the 13th district of Illinois, Demerike Palecek spoke with The Observer about the rising tensions.
“The recent ICE and DHS actions and threats targeting Chicago deeply concern me as both a veteran and a member of this community,” she said. “Using military or quasi-military forces against civilian populations, particularly immigrant communities, goes against the principles I swore to uphold. It creates an atmosphere of fear that undermines the trust between communities and those sworn to protect them.”
On September 12th, President Trump announced that he would be sending the Guard to Memphis, Tennessee rather than Chicago, but that ICE operations would continue in Chicago.
Protests now continue to occur daily outside the facility, and social media is awash with videos of federal agents and protesters, complete with tear gas, pepper-balls, and of course, arrests. Supporters praise the President’s crackdown on immigration enforcement, while critics suggest that the use of force is excessive and that their confidence in law enforcement is wavering.
“The [Chicago] police officers defend and protect the ICE officers,” Palecek said, speaking about a protest she participated in on September 12th. “They literally saw ICE officers throw me down on the ground, their faces were covered, they have no name tags, no badges, they don’t say what organization they are affiliated with. We don’t know if they’re National Guard or ICE or anything. There’s no indication. And they watched them pepper spray us, shoot us with pellet guns, all while we were sitting on the ground being peaceful. If they defend them during that, I don’t trust them with anything.”
With President Trump redirecting National Guard forces to Tennessee, it is unclear how long Operation Midway Blitz will continue. In the two weeks since the operation began, more than 500 arrests have been made, according to DHS officials. For now, protesters still clash daily outside the Broadview detention center.
