At least two Border Patrol boats carrying uniformed armed officers cruised through Downtown along the Chicago River Thursday in the fed’s latest show of force as part of Operation Midway Blitz.
The boats — one of which carried at least seven Border Patrol officers armed with long guns — could be seen passing through the river near Dearborn and State streets before heading toward the Chicago Harbor Lock.
“It’s an escalation of tension,” said Colin Smalley, president of local 777 of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union that represents the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees who man the harbor lock separating the river from Lake Michigan.
At least one alderperson called the effort a publicity stunt.
A government communication sent Wednesday and reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times showed that a federal request was made to have several Border Patrol and ICE boats and vehicles use the Chicago Harbor Lock as part of Operation Midway Blitz.
A Sun-Times reporter spotted the units near the lock shortly after 1 p.m.
ICE and Border Patrol officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment about the operation.
But Greg Bovino, the chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol El Centro sector, said in an interview with the right-wing media outlet Breitbart that the agency had moved four boats into area waterways to be able to more swiftly respond to threats. Bovino, who oversaw the agency’s aggressive actions in Los Angeles, has been in Chicago since at least last week. A person who looked like Bovino was seen in one boat.
Also Thursday, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks posted on social media Thursday that he had arrived in the city. Later, he posted pictures from a boat, saying: “Where streets end, our Marine Unit begins. On the Chicago River, CBP leadership stays vigilant. Our ability to patrol on the water extends the reach of enforcement.”
Where streets end, our Marine Unit begins. On the Chicago River, CBP leadership stays vigilant. Our ability to patrol on the water extends the reach of enforcement. pic.twitter.com/yxOU7Z4ufA
— Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) September 26, 2025
Smalley, however questioned whether the boats were needed. Immigration and border security issues haven’t come up in meetings of a harbor safety committee that includes people from different government agencies.
“That’s not an unmet need that we have here in Chicago,” Smalley said. “It’s not like the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois are struggling to enforce laws on our waterways, and so the presence of these guys by itself is escalatory.”
When asked about the Border Patrol boat presence after Thursday’s City Council meeting, 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly called it “bizarre.”
“It seems like a really cheap photo op for President Trump to flex his ICE muscles with his hotel sign in the background likely,” said Reilly, whose ward covers parts of the Chicago River in the Loop. “It’s bizarre, and I really wish the president would focus on more important priorities.”
Smalley agreed the move was a “conspicuous demonstration.”
“I think it’s designed to be chilling,” Smalley said. “I think it’s designed to take one of the gems of our city … another good, another public value we have here in Chicago. The president has not been shy about his hatred for our city, and he’s pushing limits.”