Can Illinois hold the feds accountable for immigration crackdown?
4/28/202611 min
The Illinois state government has been investigating the United States government.
Specifically, a panel called the Illinois Accountability Commission has been conducting interviews and reviewing footage from last year's federal immigration enforcement crackdown in Chicago, known as Operation Midway Blitz.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker established the commission late last year to create a public record of the weeks-long immigration crackdown throughout the Chicago area.
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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora.
It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsScott Detrow· Host0:00
It's Consider This, where every day we go deep on one big news story. Today, Illinois, Operation Midway Blitz, and the quest for accountability.
Speaker 10:08
Yo. Yo. He's not doing anything. He's not doing anything. He's a citizen. He's a citizen.
Speaker 20:18
I just want my baby back. He's not an immigrant. He was born and raised in Chicago.
Scott Detrow· Host0:23
That's a snippet from a video montage featuring dramatic scenes of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown last fall in Chicago, known as Operation Midway Blitz. The minute-and-a-half video, which shows arrests, vehicle stops, and Trump administration officials, opened the fourth day of hearings of the Illinois Accountability Commission. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker established the commission late last year to create a public record of the weeks-long immigration crackdown throughout the Chicago area.
Speaker 30:52
Good afternoon, Ms. Moriarty.
Jennifer Moriarty· Soundbite0:54
Hello.
Speaker 30:55
Thank you for being with us here today. Do you need a moment?
Jennifer Moriarty· Soundbite1:00
No, I'm, I'm okay.
Scott Detrow· Host1:01
Over the past six months, the commission has conducted interviews with 60 people, including Evanston lawyer Jennifer Moriarty. Moriarty was thrown to the ground when she tried to film the aftermath of federal agents slamming on their brakes, causing another car to hit them.
Jennifer Moriarty· Soundbite1:16
I got out of my car. I had my... I always have my purse around my neck like this, and I had my cellphone, and I walked around to the side of the driver's side, and they had this young woman on the ground. And I held my cellphone out, and