Operation Midway Blitz commander Gregory Bovino on Wednesday forcefully denied accusations by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker that federal immigration agents are targeting people on the basis of skin color or accent, and warned that such rhetoric could lead to violence against law enforcement.
Pritzker had accused federal authorities of having “acted violently against people” and of detaining those “who have Brown skin or who speak with an accent.” Bovino, speaking to Brian Kilmeade on Fox & Friends, said the allegations were unfounded and that agents are conducting lawful operations aimed at individuals who violated immigration laws.
"When you have this crazy rhetoric by folks like that governor or some of the other elected representatives that we've seen, all that does is lead to violence against our law enforcement officers and agents," Bovino said. "What we tell our agents is, we're legal, ethical, and moral in our operations every day, but we are going after those criminal illegal aliens with a vengeance."
Bovino rejected the claim that agents target people because of race or speech, saying the focus is on individuals who have violated immigration laws and on people he called "vile criminals that harm thousands of American citizens each year." He also described the operation as a success, saying it has produced "several hundred" arrests to date.
The Department of Homeland Security recently expanded Operation Midway Blitz into the Chicago area, joining similar enforcement efforts the administration has carried out in other large U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and New York. The increased federal activity in Chicago has drawn immediate criticism from Democratic leaders, including Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who have publicly opposed the administration's enforcement tactics.
Chicago has become a focal point for the enforcement push after officials involved in earlier raids reportedly shifted resources to the city. The deployment has prompted protests and public demonstrations against federal immigration policy.
During the Fox appearance, Bovino said agents are instructed to conduct operations within the law and that accusations of profiling undermine public safety by increasing tensions between communities and federal officers. He reiterated that the operation is intended to remove individuals who are in the country unlawfully and who have criminal records.
Pritzker and other local officials have said federal tactics have been heavy-handed and have led to community fear, particularly among immigrant communities. The governor’s office has cited detentions of people described as having darker skin or speaking with accents to make its case. The administration has not publicly presented data in the interview to substantiate those claims, and Bovino dismissed them as politically motivated rhetoric.
The enforcement push in Chicago comes amid a broader national debate over immigration policy and federal-state relations. Federal officials have framed the operations as enforcement of existing law and a response to public-safety concerns, while critics argue the tactics erode trust between immigrant communities and local authorities and create humanitarian and civil-rights concerns.
As the operation continues, federal and local leaders remain at odds over tactics and goals. Bovino said the agency will proceed with enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security’s direction, and he warned that inflammatory public statements from elected officials risk escalating confrontations between law enforcement and protesters or members of the public.