{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/on-senate-floor-durbin-announces-criminal-referral-to-doj-regarding-trump-officials-unconstitutional-immigration-enforcement-activity", "On Senate Floor, Durbin Announces Criminal Referral To DOJ Regarding Trump Officials\u2019 Unconstitutional Immigration Enforcement Activity", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "IL", "Richard J. Durbin", "D000563", "www.durbin.senate.gov", "durbin", "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Durbin: Today, I am putting those participating in \u201cOperation Midway Blitz\u201d on notice; you will be held accountable for unlawful actions\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced he, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), have submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department regarding the unlawful actions of senior Administration officials and federal immigration agents in \u201cOperation Midway Blitz.\u201d The Trump Administration repeatedly appears to have violated the constitutional rights of individuals in Illinois during \u201cOperation Midway Blitz,\u201d and the officials responsible for these violations are acting with impunity.\n\nDurbin said, \u201cEarlier this year, the Trump Administration began a calculated show of political theater and force designed to spread fear and terror in Illinois communities. Masked federal agents pepper sprayed, punched, body slammed, and even shot individuals, including U.S. citizens, during violent immigration enforcement actions\u2026 They deployed tear gas canisters against clergy, broke into apartments, and zip-tied children.\u201d\n\nDurbin continued, \u201cPresident Trump has not gone after \u2018the worst of the worst,\u2019 as he promised\u2014instead, he has brought some of the worst, most unprofessional, and most poorly trained federal law enforcement officers and agents into our city. Because of his so-called \u2018Operation Midway Blitz,\u2019 children are afraid to go to school, businesses are closing, and families are being torn apart. Yet the Trump Administration has shown no regret. They are reveling in the fear and chaos they have created. Just look at Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino.\u201d\n\nOn Tuesday, Bovino returned to Chicago after leaving last month to bring his campaign of fear to North Carolina and New Orleans. As soon as he arrived back in Chicago, Bovino went to the picket line of Local 705 Teamsters at Mauser Packaging Solutions.\n\nDurbin said, \u201cBovino brought federal agents to the line to intimidate and interrogate these workers. He laughed in their faces as they demanded better working conditions. In court testimony, Mr. Bovino has praised federal agents\u2019 use of excessive force as \u2018exemplary,\u2019 even after multiple U.S. citizens were hospitalized following their encounters with his federal agents.\u201d\n\nDurbin continued, \u201cWhen addressing federal agents prior to a confrontation with peaceful protesters, Mr. Bovino stated \u2018If someone strays into a pepper ball, then that\u2019s on them.\u2019 Bovino has teargassed peaceful crowds, encouraged his agents to fire pepper balls at protestors, and threatened to go \u2018even harder on the streets,\u2019 when federal judges dare to order him to follow the law. But Mr. Bovino is not alone in his cruelty. Many Trump Administration officials have been posting and gloating about these clear violations of individuals\u2019 constitutional rights.\u201d\n\nUnder 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 242, it is a federal crime for any person acting \u201cunder color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom\u201d to \u201cwillfully subject[] any person . . . to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.\u201d Anyone who willfully violates another person\u2019s Fourth Amendment rights by engaging in warrantless arrests or use of excessive force under color of law may be held liable under Section 242. If this Administration fails to pursue charges, the statute of limitations will permit the next Administration to prosecute officials who acted unlawfully.\n\nDurbin noted that while the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in Trump v. United States may have immunized President Trump personally from prosecution, it provided no such protection for his lackeys.\n\nDurbin said, \u201cThe Trump Administration officials responsible for the use of excessive force or unlawful detentions may face criminal consequences for their role in \u2018Midway Blitz.\u2019 That is why today my colleague Senator Duckworth and I have submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department regarding the unlawful actions of senior Administration officials and federal immigration agents in \u2018Operation Midway Blitz.\u2019\u201d\n\nDurbin noted a Border Patrol agent shot a Chicago woman multiple times. Body-camera video reportedly shows the agent threatening the woman, prior to shooting her. Afterwards, he bragged in text messages to other agents about shooting the woman, writing, \u201c5 shots, 7 holes.\u201d\n\nDurbin said, \u201cAs Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have directed my staff to continue gathering evidence of potential violations of Section 242, and we will provide this evidence to the Justice Department in due course.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Durbin\u2019s and Duckworth\u2019s actions, Illinois elected officials are hard at work documenting the crimes committed by federal agents. The Mayor of Evanston has opened an investigation after federal agents pinned down a man and struck him in the head. The Village of Broadview is conducting criminal investigations related to ICE\u2019s use of tear gas and rubber bullets against first responders and peaceful protestors. Tomorrow, the Illinois Accountability Commission will hold its first public hearing, which will examine the widespread use of chemical agents during \u201cMidway Blitz.\u201d\n\nDurbin said, \u201cThere will come a time when the people responsible for the assaults, tear gassing, and unjust detention during these lawless immigration enforcement actions will face real accountability. These officials swore an oath when they began their service to preserve and protect the Constitution. But in their roles as federal law enforcement officials, there is ample evidence that they have violated the very rights they promised to defend.\u201d\n\nDurbin concluded, \u201cToday, I am putting those participating in \u2018Operation Midway Blitz\u2019 on notice. You can continue to terrorize people. You can ignore the rulings of our courts, our laws, and our Constitution. You can hide behind your masks. You can ignore the due process requirements of the Constitution. But the day will come when justice will be served. The day will come when you will be held accountable. The day will come when this pitiful display of meanness and intolerance will become one of the saddest chapters of our nation\u2019s history. And you will be held accountable.\u201d\n\nVideo of Durbin\u2019s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin\u2019s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin\u2019s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/on-senate-floor-durbin-announces-criminal-referral-to-doj-regarding-trump-officials-unconstitutional-immigration-enforcement-activity"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6874971333891153, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}