The Department of Homeland Security launched an ICE-led operation in Illinois on September 8, 2025, that it says honors 20-year-old Katie Abraham, who died in a January crash involving an allegedly drunk driver without legal status. DHS reports hundreds of arrests under the initiative, dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, many involving people with prior criminal convictions, including DUIs.
Federal immigration authorities began "Operation Midway Blitz" on September 8, 2025, describing it as an ICE enforcement push in Illinois undertaken in honor of Katie Abraham, 20, who died after a January crash in Urbana. DHS said the operation targets people in the country without legal status who have criminal records. Reuters and The Washington Post also reported the operation’s launch and stated that DHS tied it to Abraham’s death. (dhs.gov)
DHS press releases said ICE and U.S. Border Patrol officers are participating and that arrests have reached into the hundreds statewide. By October 1, DHS said more than 800 people had been arrested in Illinois. The Associated Press separately reported that between September 8 and 19, ICE made nearly 550 arrests in the Chicago area as part of Midway Blitz. (dhs.gov)
Abraham and another passenger were killed on January 19, 2025, when their car was rear-ended in Urbana. Police and local reports identified the driver as Julio Cucul-Bol, a 29-year-old Guatemalan national, who fled the scene and was later arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Milford, Texas. Court records and local coverage say he initially used a false name and faces state charges tied to the crash; he was also later indicted on federal counts involving fraudulent identification documents. (wandtv.com)
Abraham’s father, Joe Abraham, has publicly blamed Illinois’ laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and shared a statement with The Daily Wire, saying, in part, “Katie’s death was preventable.” Illinois officials and advocates dispute the broader policy claims. The Washington Post has reported that Abraham’s mother opposes linking her daughter’s name to the federal operation. (dailywire.com)
DHS has framed Midway Blitz as a response to “sanctuary” policies in Chicago and Illinois that limit how local agencies coordinate with ICE, a rationale also noted in independent coverage by Reuters and AP. State and city leaders have criticized the operation as heavy-handed. (dhs.gov)
The Daily Wire, citing DHS, reported several recent arrests of noncitizens with prior DUI histories in Illinois, including Benito Hernandez Ibarra, Javier Castillo Hernandez and Oscar Sinchi. Those specific names were not listed in DHS’ public releases reviewed by this outlet and could not be independently verified; they are included here as claims attributed to The Daily Wire. (dailywire.com)