'We've Arrived': Border Patrol Launches Chicago Operation Amid Reports Of Arrests

CHICAGO, IL — U.S. Border Patrol agents have moved into Chicago, the agency announced Tuesday, launching "Operation At Large" targeting undocumented immigrants in the area.

Commander Gregory Bovino announced the agency's arrival in the city with a short video on X that showed agents and vehicles in the area.

"Operation At Large is here to continue the mission we started in Los Angeles—to make the city safer by targeting and arresting criminal illegal aliens," Bovino said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also announced her presence in Chicago, saying she was present as DHS officers made multiple arrests Tuesday morning.

"President Trump has been clear: if politicians will not put the safety of their citizens first, this administration will. I was on the ground in Chicago today to make clear we are not backing down," Noem said.

This week, a brave @ICEgov officer was dragged many yards by a car after a criminal illegal alien resisted arrest. His life was put at risk and he sustained serious injuries.

President Trump has been clear: if politicians will not put the safety of their citizens first, this… pic.twitter.com/2BSUg4a7U6
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) September 16, 2025

Federal agents have been present in the Chicago area since the beginning of September, with several reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement making arrests.

On Monday, ICE agents took more than a dozen people into custody in West Chicago, including a minor, Illinois State Senator Karina Villa announced at a Tuesday news conference.

One ICE arrest last week resulted in the death of 38-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. Villegas-Gonzalez was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Franklin Park shortly after he dropped his child off at school on Friday.

Related: Pritzker Calls For 'More Transparency' After Man Fatally Shot By ICE After Dropping Child Off At School

According to ICE, Villegas-Gonzalez resisted arrest and drove his car into law enforcement, dragging an agent as the vehicle fled the scene.

"Fearing for his life, the officer discharged his firearm and struck the subject," an ICE spokesperson said in a statement.

At a Monday press conference, Gov. JB Pritzker called for more transparency from ICE about the circumstances leading to Villegas-Gonzalez's death.

"We should have transparency," Pritzker said "If this were the Chicago Police Department, if this were the sheriff's office in Cook County, if this were Illinois State Police, you would have had a lot more information already released but apparently, ICE is unwilling to provide the transparency that I think the American public and the public here deserves."

President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the National Guard in Chicago before backtracking over the weekend and diverting troops to Memphis, Tennessee. Though it doesn't seem Trump has entirely given up on his plans in Chicago.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he does still have plans for the Windy City.

"Chicago is a death trap — and I'm going to make it just like I did with D.C., just like I'll do with Memphis... I'm going to Chicago next," Trump said.

During Monday's press conference, Pritzker addressed news of the National Guard being diverted to Memphis.

"On the other hand, as you've heard, the president says one thing one day and then goes back on them the next day, changes his mind from week to week so we never really know what he intends to do," Pritzker said during the press conference on Monday morning. "All I can say is, sending troops into any American city, is a terrible idea. The law and the constitution only allow it in the case of insurrection or a national emergency. And those are not taking place in any city across the United States."