Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official known for leading high-profile immigration raids in southern California, has arrived in Chicago as federal authorities prepare a new wave of interior enforcement operations, sources told CBS News.
Bovino, formerly head of California’s El Centro sector, has become a prominent figure in the Trump administration’s effort to detain unauthorized immigrants, often posting edited videos of his operations online. In California, he led Operation At Large, which involved arrests far from the border, including at Home Depot locations and MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, sometimes using mounted agents and armored vehicles.
A federal judge in Los Angeles had previously ruled that some stops were based on race, language, occupation, and location rather than reasonable suspicion, but the Supreme Court temporarily paused that order.
Previewing his move to Chicago, Bovino posted a social media video saying his team would be “taking this show on the road” to the city. In Chicago, he is expected to lead Customs and Border Protection operations as part of a broader Trump administration push to expand interior enforcement, which comes as illegal crossings at the southern border have declined.
ICE has launched Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area, focusing on unauthorized immigrants with criminal records. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized the effort, saying the administration should work with state officials rather than “scaring Illinoisians.” DHS declined further comment, telling CBS News to “stay tuned.”
Federal agents have staged at a Navy station in the Chicago suburbs in preparation for the operation, which could involve up to 250 agents and 140 vehicles for 30 days. Meanwhile, DHS also announced Patriot 2.0, an ICE operation in Boston targeting immigrants with criminal records.
