Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were targeted in violent vehicle assaults by illegal immigrants in separate incidents during an ongoing federal immigration operation in the Chicago area, according to an exclusive statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to The Daily Wire.
The attacks took place Wednesday in Bensenville and Norridge, Illinois, as part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” a large-scale enforcement that has led to over 900 arrests of illegal aliens in and around Chicago.
Two Violent Assaults in 24 Hours
In the first incident, DHS says Miguel Escareno De Loera, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, deliberately rammed his vehicle twice into an ICE vehicle during an attempted arrest in Norridge, then jumped a curb and crashed into a nearby structure. DHS confirmed he was not apprehended at the border, and it remains unclear when he entered the United States.
In the second attack, Widman Osberto Lopez-Funes, a Guatemalan national, slammed his vehicle into ICE agents in Bensenville, then fled the scene on foot to his nearby residence, where he was later apprehended by law enforcement.
“Thankfully, none of our law enforcement officers were killed because of these deranged criminals’ attacks,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “This is exactly what happens when Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and other sanctuary politicians demonize ICE and encourage illegal aliens to resist law enforcement.”
Both individuals are now in ICE custody and are expected to face federal charges for assaulting law enforcement officers, in addition to undergoing deportation proceedings.
A Growing Threat to Federal Officers
DHS says these attacks are part of a disturbing rise in violence against ICE officers, with assaults up over 1,000% compared to previous years.
“Our ICE law enforcement is facing a more than 1,000% increase in assaults—including cars being used as weapons against them,” McLaughlin said. “Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The agency has released photos of the damaged vehicles involved in the incidents, which appear to show the aftermath of high-impact collisions in residential neighborhoods.
Operation Midway Blitz Faces Political Backlash
The Trump administration’s crackdown in Chicago has received pushback from progressive lawmakers and local officials, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who continue to oppose ICE operations in so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Protests erupted earlier this week in downtown Chicago and outside an ICE field office, with demonstrators condemning the federal operation and calling for an end to deportations.
DHS and ICE remain undeterred and say Operation Midway Blitz will continue, with agents targeting individuals with criminal convictions, recent border crossers, and those with final removal orders.
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Vehicles have been declared deadly weapons in the past. Check the rules of engagement???
Do they comprehend what happens when the silent among us says, “ENOUGH?”
Historically, police all over the country use deadly force when attacked by a vehicle driven by a suspect. Many suspects have been shot and killed while trying to run over an officer or ram an officer’s vehicle. It’s time that ICE Officers are directed to use deadly force when someone tries to injure or kill them using a motor vehicle as a weapon. If a few criminal drivers were shot and/or killed while assaulting ICE Officers, maybe this BS would stop !