Reveal Lessons From Trump’s “War” on Chicago
Dec 13, 2025
Ashley Cleek, a producer and reporter with a focus on community impact, shares firsthand accounts of fear in Chicago due to Operation Midway Blitz. Investigative journalist Joseph Cox reveals the troubling use of ICE’s facial-recognition tech and the implications of surveillance apps on civil rights. They discuss grassroots organizing in response to federal raids, showing how communities are banding together to resist intimidation. The chilling atmosphere highlights not only immediate risks but also the long-term effects of expanded surveillance in American cities.
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Militarized Raids Spark Citywide Fear
- Operation Midway Blitz deployed over 200 Border Patrol agents across Chicago and used militarized tactics that spread widespread fear.
- Journalists and residents documented tactics that often targeted people without criminal records, challenging the "worst of the worst" rationale.
South Shore Raid Turned Into Promo
- Agents stormed a South Shore apartment building and arrested 37 people, many in pajamas, then released little evidence of criminal charges.
- DHS later used the raid footage as a dramatic Instagram promo, framing the operation like an action movie.
Night Raids Left Residents Traumatized
- Residents described being woken by drones and helicopters, doors bashed in, and mothers and children paraded outside during night raids.
- Neighbors later found a crumpled map marking apartments as vacant, tenant, or firearms, raising questions about targeting.