West Cook News

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a statement condemning assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers following two vehicular attacks in Norridge and Bensenville, Illinois.

According to the DHS, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that "none of our law enforcement was killed because of these deranged criminals' attacks on law enforcement," attributing the violence to "Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and other sanctuary politicians" who she said "demonize ICE and encourage illegal aliens to resist law enforcement." McLaughlin warned that ICE officers are experiencing "a more than 1000% increase in assaults—including cars—being used as weapons against them." She further noted that "Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The incidents referenced by DHS took place during Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago metro area. Officials report that "criminal illegal aliens" used vehicles as weapons against federal officers. The department has intensified operations around Chicago, arguing that Illinois’ and Chicago’s sanctuary policies foster resistance to federal immigration enforcement. The DHS suggests that political rhetoric from state and city leaders is linked to these assaults, framing their response as essential for protecting officers executing federal warrants in suburban areas like Norridge and Bensenville.

The DHS also reports a significant rise in assaults on ICE officers during 2025. Recent communications from the department highlight "more than a 1,000% increase" in such assaults—including vehicles used as weapons and doxxing of personnel—since large-scale enforcement efforts began. McLaughlin and Secretary Kristi Noem have associated these increases with anti-ICE rhetoric and sanctuary policies, stressing more aggressive federal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. §111 for assaulting federal officers.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, established in 2002, is a cabinet department based in Washington, D.C., formed by consolidating 22 agencies after the events of September 11, 2001. Its mission encompasses safeguarding the American people through border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity measures, disaster response efforts, and protection of critical infrastructure.