Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official who led U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in California, on Tuesday announced he had arrived in Chicago, signaling ICE operations in the area are ramping up.
“Well, Chicago, we’ve arrived!” Bovino wrote in a social media post, accompanied by a video of Border Patrol agents in Chicago. “Operation At Large is here to continue the mission we started in Los Angeles — to make the city safer by targeting and arresting criminal illegal aliens.”
The escalated operation comes as Chicagoans are celebrating Mexican Independence Day.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote on social media that Chicago arrests on Tuesday included people arrested for violent assault, felony stalking or DUI. She did not provide any names.
Bovino, who is typically dressed in tactical gear, led the latest deportation effort in Los Angeles that led to more than 5,000 arrests. Tuesday’s enforcement is separate from the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which was announced two weeks ago.
Replying to a social media post by Gov. JB Pritzker’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Matt Hill, who criticized that ICE hasn’t called Pritzker but has “the time to create a TikTok video showing off beautiful Chicago scenery,” Bovino wrote, “Tik tok, tik tok, time is up!!”
“We’ve already arrested several criminals this morning. Much more to come, so stay tuned my friend,” Bovino wrote. In other posts, Bovino said he was “headed to McKinley Park” and Franklin Park.
Speaking on WBEZ on Tuesday morning, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he planned to sign an executive order on Tuesday “to protect people’s right to protest,” as ICE’s deportation campaign continues. He called President Donald Trump’s deportation operations a “provocation of terror and anxiety.”
Johnson last month also signed an executive order aimed at holding federal law enforcement in the city to municipal rules on policing, while also keeping tabs on new deployments and informing citizens of their rights.
“I think it’s unfortunate that this president refuses to cooperate and work with municipalities across this country,” Johnson said. “We want criminals off the streets. There’s ways you can coordinate.”
President Donald Trump on Monday teased that Chicago is “probably next,” for a federal task force — and the National Guard — to combat crime. His comments came as he announced a “Memphis Safe Task Force,” which also includes the deployment of the National Guard and law enforcement from the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE and Homeland Security.
“We’re going to be doing Chicago, probably next,” Trump said.
Trump voiced similar statements on Tuesday on the White House Lawn, saying he’s planning to send troops to Chicago, despite opposition from Gov. JB Pritzker.
“So I’m going to go to Chicago early, against Pritzker. Pritzker is nothing,” Trump said. “If Pritzker was smart, he’d say please come in.”
Pritzker planned to address reporters later on Tuesday.
Contributing: Mariah Woelfel