Since mid-September 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 223 individuals without legal status along highways in Northwest Indiana. The operation, called Midway Blitz, aims to improve public safety by focusing on unlicensed and undocumented drivers, especially those operating commercial vehicles. Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons stated that the operation is intended to protect interstate roadways. He also commented on sanctuary policies in neighboring states, saying they affect border enforcement.
The operation has concentrated on truck drivers. Of those detained, 46 were identified as undocumented individuals with commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). Some of these licenses were issued in states with sanctuary policies, including California, Illinois, and New York. ICE officials have raised concerns about the issuance of CDLs to undocumented individuals, citing recent accidents involving unqualified drivers.
Operation Midway Blitz is named after Katie Abraham, who died in a hit-and-run incident involving an undocumented driver. The initiative is a joint effort between ICE and the Indiana State Police. It targets individuals with criminal records in the Chicago area and seeks to prevent similar incidents on Indiana highways…