Congressman Krishnamoorthi Demands Answers from DHS on Operation Midway Blitz Conduct and Death in Custody
WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi today sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem raising serious concerns about how DHS conducted Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois, including in his district, warning that the operation appears to have swept up large numbers of individuals without criminal convictions and produced deadly consequences.
The Congressman writes:
“DHS has said this operation focused on dangerous criminals, but the facts suggest that many people with no criminal convictions were arrested instead. During my oversight visit, I learned that individuals were targeted and held not because they had been convicted of a crime, but merely because they had been charged with an offense in the past.”
He further notes that public reporting contradicts DHS’s stated priorities:
“While DHS has stated that roughly 4,500 people were detained during Operation Midway Blitz, reports show that only about 15 percent of those detained had prior criminal convictions. When enforcement actions primarily affect people without criminal convictions, it undermines DHS’s stated focus on targeting the most dangerous individuals.”
The letter also highlights the death of Nenko Gantchev, who died in DHS custody after being arrested when he voluntarily appeared for a scheduled immigration interview.
“He was not detained because of a criminal conviction,” Krishnamoorthi writes, “but because of enforcement practices that prioritized increasing the number of immigrants detained rather than focusing on genuine public safety threats. His case underscores the human cost of enforcement actions that do not center on individuals with criminal convictions.”
To ensure accountability, Congressman Krishnamoorthi requests written responses from DHS by January 15, 2026, to the following questions:
How many people detained during Operation Midway Blitz had criminal convictions?
How many detainees with no prior criminal convictions were charged with a crime by DHS at the time of their arrest?
Please provide body-camera footage for any arrests of individuals without prior convictions or active charges.
To which facilities were individuals detained in Illinois transferred, and how many of those transferred experienced serious health deterioration while in DHS custody?
How will DHS ensure that future enforcement actions target individuals with serious criminal convictions or active warrants?
The Congressman concludes:
“Immigration enforcement should focus on individuals who pose real public safety risks, not on families, workers, or bystanders caught in a dragnet. Until DHS can provide transparency and assurance that these operations are conducted lawfully and effectively, similar enforcement actions should be suspended.”
The letter is available here.