Trump claims Chicago crime dramatically reduced by Operation Midway Blitz

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that violent crime in Chicago has declined sharply since the start of a federal crackdown known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” crediting efforts led by the Department of Homeland Security with reducing shootings and robberies across the Windy City.

The Truth Social presidential message claims that shootings have decreased by 35 percent, robberies by 41 percent and car thefts by nearly 50 percent since the operation began several weeks ago.

“This was accomplished despite extraordinary resistance from radical Democratic leaders in Chicago and Illinois,” Trump wrote.

The message marks the president’s first public update on the initiative since late October, when DHS confirmed nine arrests, including three illegal immigrants, following what officials described as “one of the most violent days” of the operation.

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President Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday about the positive progress Chicago has made against crime through Operation Midway Blitz. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to DHS statements obtained by Fox News Digital, agents were victims of multiple assaults and vehicle collisions during coordinated raids on October 22 in the Chicago suburbs of Cicero and Glendale Heights.

DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the day “one of the most violent days we have experienced,” confirming that one agent was injured and several patrol units were damaged. The searches targeted violent offenders and previously deported foreign nationals with criminal records.

The operation’s namesake honors Katie Abraham, a Chicago-area resident killed in September in a hit-and-run involving a suspected illegal immigrant.

DHS MARKS ‘ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT DAYS’ OF OPERATION MIDWAY BLITZ WITH SEVERAL ARRESTS

Although President Trump did not personally nominate Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Illinois Democrat has vehemently opposed the Trump administration’s reforms in the Windy City. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo)

“Midway Blitz,” launched in September, is part of a broader DHS initiative targeting “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in the Illinois sanctuary,” according to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who said suspects who attacked agents “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Trump’s message also reignited tensions with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who have both opposed large-scale immigration raids. The president accused them of obstructing law enforcement and “encouraging violent resistance against ICE agents.”

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has also already put President Donald Trump in his crosshairs on social media. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Trump said the next phase of the “Midway Blitz” would include a “heavy surge” of federal agents in Chicago and Memphis, saying the first wave had already produced measurable results.

“As we increase our assets, these numbers will continue to decline,” he wrote Tuesday.

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The Illinois governor’s office and Chicago mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. The White House referred Fox News Digital to the president’s comments on Truth Social.

Rachel Wolf of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.