Staff Reports
On October 3, 2025 conservative commentator Benny Johnson rode alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while federal immigration teams carried out enforcement actions in the Chicago area, livestreaming the operation to his audience. The footage shows Noem on the ground with agents as arrests were made and tense crowds gathered, a bold display of federal authority that the mainstream media tried to downplay. That kind of front-line reporting — and leadership that gets its boots dirty — is exactly what American cities have been crying out for.
Federal officials reported that 13 protesters were arrested outside the Broadview ICE processing facility on that same day, as agents also conducted raids in Chicago neighborhoods and at a local Walmart — part of an enforcement surge that began in September. The Department of Homeland Security has framed the broader effort as Operation Midway Blitz, aimed at removing criminal illegal aliens who have exploited sanctuary policies to hide in Democrat-run cities. For once the federal government is putting public safety ahead of political correctness, and the difference is already on display in the videos.
This isn’t a photo op; it’s enforcement of the rule of law. Chicago’s sanctuary-style policies and weak leadership have created magnets for criminal activity, and federal intervention was necessary to protect law-abiding residents who have been abandoned by local politicians. If local officials want to complain, they should explain why they welcomed the very problems now threatening neighborhoods and small businesses.
The escalation has not come without risk — reporters and residents filmed chaotic confrontations, there have been credible threats against agents, and federal authorities even restricted drone operations for officer safety. Video and reports from the scene included accounts of federal personnel being assaulted during arrests and, tragically, a violent encounter that required a force response in the suburbs. No one should be naive about the danger federal officers face when hostile mobs are allowed to form under the cover of politics.
Critics on the left immediately tried to caricature the scene, calling Johnson’s presence “cosplaying” because he wore a Border Patrol vest while reporting; those critics conveniently ignore that DHS asked him to wear safety gear because agents are under credible threat in the area. Honest Americans know the difference between reporting from the field and staging theatrics, and Johnson’s footage gave citizens a clear view of what federal enforcement looks like when it’s actually happening. The outrage from elites is predictable — what’s new is that the federal government is finally answering the call.
Governor JB Pritzker and other local Democrats rushed to condemn the operations instead of facing down the street-level crime that led to them, proving once again that their priority is politics over people. If officials in Illinois and Chicago truly cared about safety, they would cooperate with federal partners and stop playing defense for those who violate the law. Until that day, patriots should support officials who enforce our laws, not those who excuse lawbreaking for political points.
Americans who go to work, pay their taxes, and want to raise their kids without fear deserve leadership that acts, not rhetoric that appeases. Kristi Noem and the agents on the ground showed courage and resolve on October 3, 2025, and they deserve our gratitude and backing as they clean up what liberal policies have allowed to fester. If we want safer streets and stronger communities, we must stand with law enforcement and demand that our elected officials stop protecting criminals and start protecting citizens.
