In one of the most stunning displays of judicial activism in recent memory, a federal judge has ordered hundreds of illegal immigrants—swept up during Homeland Security’s “Operation Midway Blitz”—to be released back into Chicago communities by November 21. The move is yet another reminder that the Left’s priorities lie with illegal entrants, not with the American families forced to live with the consequences.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings sided with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), claiming the enforcement operation may have violated a 2022 consent decree restricting warrantless immigration arrests. Instead of recognizing the Trump Administration’s effort to remove potentially dangerous individuals from the streets, Judge Cummings opted to bend over backwards for those who entered—and remained in—the country illegally.
His order demands that 13 individuals be released by November 14, and an additional 615 by November 21 unless the government files an appeal. According to ABC7, many of those 615 detainees will be pushed into so-called “alternatives-to-detention,” including electronic monitoring—a nice way of saying they’ll be back in neighborhoods across Chicago.
These 615 detainees were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) between June 11 and October 7, 2025. Rather than allow federal authorities to continue determining which individuals pose dangers to the public, the judge has decided that lawyers and activists should take the lead.
Predictably, the ACLU celebrated the ruling. Attorney Michelle Garcia claimed the move would “return people to their communities,” insisting they never should have been detained. What she didn’t mention is that many of those arrested have criminal records, gang affiliations, or long histories of ignoring removal orders. But in the worldview of the ACLU, the comfort of illegal immigrants outweighs the safety of American citizens.
Judge Cummings even ordered the Trump Administration to turn over records of all arrests made after October 7—so activists can comb through enforcement operations looking for more technicalities to exploit. Deportation proceedings for those released must also be frozen, further tying the government’s hands.
To his credit, the judge at least acknowledged that individuals with prior deportation orders or those deemed a “significant” threat to public safety won’t qualify for release. But given Chicago’s history of leniency and political pressure from pro-illegal-immigration activists, it’s anyone’s guess how many dangerous individuals will slip through the cracks.
The consent decree in question—*Castanon Nava*—remains in place until February 2026 and restricts immigration enforcement across Illinois and five neighboring states. It forbids arrests of illegal immigrants without a warrant unless they present a flight risk—effectively turning ICE into a spectator while criminal aliens roam free.
DHS officials blasted the ruling as reckless and dangerous. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a blistering statement, saying, “At every turn activist judges, sanctuary politicians, and violent rioters have actively tried to prevent our law enforcement officers from arresting and removing the worst of the worst. Now an ACTIVIST JUDGE is putting the lives of Americans directly at risk by ordering 615 illegal aliens be released into the community.”
Once again, the Left’s obsession with shielding illegal immigrants has put ordinary American citizens last. And once again, it’s the people—not the activists, not the judges—who will pay the price.
