[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 208 (Wednesday, December 10, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8590-S8591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OPERATION MIDWAY BLITZ

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on a separate subject, for more than 3 
months, Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump have used the 
city of Chicago as their personal playground for militarizing 
immigration operations. When they announced the start of this campaign, 
they called it Operation Midway Blitz. They promised to target and 
deport murderers, rapists, terrorists, the criminally insane, the worst 
of the worst. The results tell a different story.
  In an ongoing lawsuit, a judge examined whether Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement violated a consent decree preventing warrantless 
arrests of individuals without probable cause. In a list the 
administration presented--a list that came from the Department of 
Homeland Security, came from Secretary Noem--submitted to the Federal 
court of more than 600 immigrants recently arrested, do you know how 
many of them had a significant criminal history? Sixteen. Sixteen out 
of more than 600.
  Nationwide, ICE has arrested nearly 75,000 people with no criminal 
history between January 20 and October of this year. Federal 
immigration agents have arrested and detained the following as 
examples: a mother on her way to visit her 15-day-old baby in the NICU, 
a teacher in a preschool in front of her young students, day laborers, 
vendors, construction workers, and cooks simply trying to work hard, 
make a living, and support their families.
  Immigration agents arrested and detained at least 40 U.S. citizens in 
Illinois alone between late August and early November. Does that sound 
like we are getting rid of the worst of the worst; people with no 
criminal history, many of whom are citizens of the United States, not 
given the advantage of due process guaranteed by the 5th and 14th 
amendments?
  I have repeatedly warned that these actions amount to political 
theater to promote the President's anti-immigrant agenda and spread 
fear and reduce crime. I have cautioned that it is a slippery slope 
from this trampling of rights and liberties guaranteed by the 
Constitution.
  I have urged my Republican colleagues--just one Republican 
colleague--to consider the possibility that these raids could come to a 
city they represent, and they would be faced with the very same 
reality. How might they feel then? Would they call out these abuses of 
power if that time came?
  Well, I regret to inform them that the time has come. After wreaking 
havoc in Illinois, Border Patrol official Greg Bovino and his traveling 
circus have hit the road and descended on more communities, including 
red States. Last month, in Charlotte, NC, a video posted to social 
media showed a U.S. citizen construction worker being swarmed by 
Federal agents while he was in his vehicle. They proceeded to smash the 
truck's window and handcuff him while verifying his citizenship. The 
man said the agents ``didn't believe I was an American citizen'' and 
``wanted to know where I was born.'' He was released only after the 
agents verified his citizenship.
  In a separate incident--this one in Louisiana--a viral video showed a 
silver unmarked SUV pulling up to a woman and two masked agents exiting 
to chase her. She repeatedly yelled she was a U.S. citizen and to 
``leave her alone'' before making it to her home.
  Other States, including Florida and Texas, have also witnessed 
increased Federal immigration enforcement operations.
  These types of confrontations with Federal agents that we are seeing 
in the streets of many American cities will, unfortunately, continue 
unless we speak up. The lack of professionalism and the use of overly 
aggressive tactics and excessive force is sad but not surprising.
  The Trump administration has surged ICE hiring with the goal of 
onboarding 10,000 new agents by the end of the year. That would more 
than double the number of deportation officers from the current number 
of 6,000 to 16,000. The Trump administration should be working to 
improve the screening, hiring, and training of recruits before 
unleashing them onto the streets of America. Instead, they have lowered 
requirements for ICE agents,

[[Page S8591]]

including loosening the age restrictions for prospective agents and 
shortening the training period from 13 weeks to merely 6 weeks and 
giving each of the new ICE recruits a $50,000 cash bonus. This approach 
has proven woefully inadequate and downright dangerous.
  Recent reporting suggests these new lowered hiring standards have 
resulted in ICE recruits who have barely been able to read or write, 
failed drug tests, displayed tattoos associated with gangs and White 
supremacists, failed to meet basic physical fitness requirements, and 
even have pending criminal charges.
  Secretary Noem calls this her dream team--her dream team.
  In one instance, the staff of the Georgia-based Federal Law 
Enforcement Training Center, where recruits were trained, were left 
shocked when a student asked to be excused from class to attend a court 
case that he faced on a gun charge.
  A male recruit reportedly barged into a female dorm at one of these 
training facilities, after bar hopping, and harassed the occupants. 
Another recruit groped a woman in a training course. These are the 
people--the dream team of Secretary Noem--that President Trump is 
attempting to release onto our streets to restore law and order.
  With these lower standards, the troubling incidents I have described 
are definitely going to increase. Given all this, I ask my Republican 
colleagues, if you think we need to keep an eye on the Federal 
Government, why don't we start here? Will any of you rebuke this 
lawlessness and cruelty, any one Republican Senator? What will it take 
for you to finally do so?
  We ought to be united in calling out these abuses. Secretary Noem 
wants to play dress-up in her camo wardrobe, demanding government jets 
to tour battleground States, brag about her dream team of masked secret 
police, arrest ordinary people who are working hard on tough jobs, with 
what, I believe, is an attempt to change basic constitutional 
principles. We have to stand up and speak out. Is this what America is 
really all about?
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.

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