The heated conflict between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local authorities in the Chicago area has reached an unprecedented level, with local officials leveling stunning accusations: that federal immigration agents are intentionally placing false emergency calls to local police departments. This tactic, officials assert, is a calculated strategy to misuse and divert already-strained local law enforcement resources away from ICE operations and ongoing protests, effectively neutralizing the city and state’s “sanctuary” policies.
The Escalation of Operation Midway Blitz
The allegations come amid “Operation Midway Blitz,” a controversial, multi-agency federal surge targeting undocumented immigrants in Chicago and surrounding areas, which began in September 2025. The operation, championed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been met with resistance from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have condemned the aggressive, “military-style” tactics employed by federal agents.
The core of the dispute lies in the Illinois Trust Act, a state law that severely restricts the extent to which local and state police can cooperate with federal civil immigration enforcement. Because local police are mandated not to assist ICE with civil enforcement, federal agents, including those from ICE and U.S. Border Patrol, must conduct operations without local backup.
The Broadview Crisis: Accusations of Bogus Calls and Forced Response
The primary flashpoint for these accusations is the ICE processing center located in the suburb of Broadview, Illinois. This facility has been the site of continuous protests and intense federal activity since the launch of Operation Midway Blitz. The village of Broadview—a jurisdiction with a clear mandate to protect its residents and a history of non-cooperation with ICE—has found itself thrust into a tense, high-stakes standoff with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components operating within its borders.
Chief Thomas Mills Takes a Stand
Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills directly accused federal agents of repeatedly and knowingly making “bogus” 911 calls to his department. Mills stated unequivocally that this conduct constitutes a deliberate strategy to drain and tie up his department’s resources, preventing them from addressing actual community needs.
In a key, documented incident that epitomizes the nature of the alleged deception, Broadview police were dispatched to the ICE facility following an urgent 911 call from a federal agent. The agent reported someone was actively “tampering with a gate” at the detention center’s perimeter. Upon arrival, Broadview officers found no threat. Instead, the scene was occupied only by a CBS News Chicago journalist and a security guard who were lawfully filming the building’s exterior 1.
Body camera footage from the responding Broadview officers captured their confusion and frustration. Officers on the scene are heard questioning the validity of the call, with one officer remarking, “It sure doesn’t look like anyone’s forcing anything in any fence over here,” illustrating the apparent lack of genuine emergency. Chief Mills openly described the situation as “disturbing” and “ridiculous,” asserting his belief that the call was “bogus”.
Mills recounted that this was not an isolated lapse in judgment, but one of “several questionable 911 calls” his department had recently received from the facility. The implication is clear: federal agents, frustrated by the lack of local support under the sanctuary state policy, were attempting to force a local police response under the guise of an emergency, thereby deploying local manpower to serve a federal objective.
Legal Implications and Criminal Investigations
The response from Broadview village officials has been immediate and decisive, moving the dispute from a political disagreement into the realm of criminal law.
Violation of State Law
Chief Mills has confirmed that his department has initiated three separate criminal investigations into the actions of federal agents, a highly unusual step for a local municipality against a component of the Department of Homeland Security 2. Mills asserts that making a false 911 call or filing a false official report is a direct violation of Illinois state statutes.
Specifically, the act could fall under the Illinois Disorderly Conduct Statute (720 ILCS 5/26-1), which criminalizes knowingly transmitting a false report to any public safety agency when there is no reasonable ground for believing that the report is necessary. Depending on the exact nature of the charge, a violation can be prosecuted as a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in county jail) or, in certain circumstances involving false reports of a crime or emergency, a Class 4 felony (punishable by up to three years in state prison and substantial fines) 3.
By pursuing criminal charges, Broadview is attempting to assert the supremacy of local law within its jurisdiction and hold federal agents accountable for alleged misuse of emergency systems that the community relies upon.
Demands for Accountability
Mills has publicly demanded that DHS and ICE fully cooperate with the criminal investigations, specifically calling for the names of all federal officers involved in the incidents. He stated that the department is prepared to seek subpoenas from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office if necessary to compel cooperation. While DHS officials indicated they would cooperate, Chief Mills reported that they have been slow to provide any relevant information or the identities of the agents involved.
A Pattern of Escalation and Aggression
The alleged false 911 calls are not the only incidents illustrating the tense and aggressive nature of the federal operation in the Chicago area. The Broadview facility, in particular, has been the site of several other high-profile incidents that officials have characterized as “hostile actions” and a public safety crisis:
- Targeting of Journalists: A CBS News Chicago reporter was the victim of an alleged unprovoked attack when a masked ICE agent fired a chemical projectile (pepper ball) from inside the facility fence, striking the reporter’s vehicle and causing the chemical agent to fill her truck. The reporter suffered burning and nausea. Chief Mills labeled the event “horrific” and confirmed it is part of the ongoing criminal investigations.4
- Violent Incidents: Broadview police are also investigating accusations that federal agents have been involved in separate incidents of striking people with vehicles near the site.
- Contradictory Communication: Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson and Chief Mills have also criticized DHS for issuing statements that they claim contain “falsehoods,” including official federal communication that alleged local police failed to respond to ICE concerns—a claim local officials have vehemently denied and counter-alleged is a justification for the aggressive tactics being used.
- Broadview police chief accuses ICE agents of making false 911 calls. CBS News Chicago. October 2, 2025. ↩︎
- Broadview mayor accuses ICE of ‘hostile actions’ that are endangering the public. WGN News / YouTube. September 30, 2025. ↩︎
- Broadview ICE facility, agents at center of criminal investigations, village officials say. CBS News Chicago. October 1, 2025. ↩︎
- Broadview police chief says ICE facility is “creating a dangerous situation for the community”. CBS News Chicago / YouTube. September 30, 2025. ↩︎
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