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  "path": "/immigration/2026/05/21/special-prosecutor-midway-blitz-ice-trump-oneill-burke-cook-county",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-21T15:53:56.756Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "textContent": "<p>A judge on Thursday refused to install a special prosecutor in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to probe alleged crimes stemming from the Operation Midway Blitz deportation campaign last year.</p><p>During a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Erica Reddick flatly rejected the arguments of a broad coalition that sought a special prosecutor to target the federal agents who carried out the immigration enforcement effort, which rocked the Chicago area for months.</p><p>The coalition of elected officials, clergy, journalists and attorneys had argued that Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke had turned a “blind eye” to “egregious acts of violence” by the federal agents, and that O’Neill Burke’s close working relationship with the feds amounted to a conflict of interest.</p><p>Reddick’s ruling serves as a major victory for O’Neill Burke, who had fought the petition to appoint a special prosecutor and argued that such a move could actually hinder efforts to prosecute crimes tied to Midway Blitz.</p><p>Calls for the investigation and prosecution of federal agents <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/public-safety/2026/02/06/how-can-chicagos-top-prosecutor-hold-ice-accountable\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>intensified early this year</u></a>, following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration authorities in Minneapolis.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/05/05/ice-midway-blitz-chicago-trump-silverio-villegas-gonzalez\" >Illinois State Police investigating deadly ICE shooting of Silverio Villegas González in Chicago suburb</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>The October shooting in Chicago of <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/02/03/marimar-martinez-shot-border-patrol-chicago-speaks-out-after-good-pretti-deaths-i-am-their-voice\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Marimar Martinez</u></a> by a Border Patrol agent prompted a federal<b> </b>investigation, according to her attorney. But it wasn't until late April that the Illinois State Police <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/05/05/ice-midway-blitz-chicago-trump-silverio-villegas-gonzalez\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>began investigating</u></a> the September killing of <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/09/15/silverio-villegas-gonzalez-fatally-shot-by-ice-agents-touched-the-lives-of-so-many-loved-ones-say\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Silverio</u><b><u> </u></b><u>Villegas</u><b><u> </u></b><u>González</u></a><b> </b>by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Franklin Park.</p><p>The Illinois State Police investigation began at the request of Franklin Park police. O'Neill Burke's office has promised to play a \"supportive role\"<b> </b>in the probe.</p><p>The group behind the special prosecutor push filed its petition March 12. The coalition includes U.S. Reps. Jesus “Chuy”<b> </b>Garcia, Jonathan<b> </b>Jackson<b> </b>and Delia Ramirez, all Democrats; and former U.S. District Chief Judge Ruben Castillo, who was appointed to the bench in 1994<b> </b>by President Bill Clinton.</p><p>It also includes the Chicago News Guild, which represents journalists at the Chicago Sun-Times.</p><p>In addition to the shootings of Martinez and González, the group has pointed to batteries, assaults, kidnappings and other violence, all allegedly at the hands of federal agents.</p><p>Castillo led a separate group, known as the <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/04/30/pritzker-illinois-accountability-commission-operation-midway-blitz-trump-immigration\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Illinois Accountability Commission</u></a>, that last month accused the agents of regularly using force against Illinois residents “without justification.” The commission, formed by Gov. JB Pritzker, referred its findings to O’Neill Burke along with other prosecutors and police departments. Its work seemed to trigger the recent investigation<b> </b>into González's death.</p><p>“I would say to State’s Attorney Burke, that if she doesn’t want to investigate, step aside,” Castillo said. “Step aside. And let a special prosecutor come in and do what needs to be done. But someone needs to do it.”</p><p>O’Neill Burke insisted her office can only bring charges “after receiving a completed investigation from a law enforcement agency.”</p><p>Prosecuting federal agents in state court would require showing that <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/08/can-state-officials-prosecute-the-feds-calls-grow-after-minneapolis-shooting\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>they acted unreasonably</u></a> while fulfilling their duties. Prosecutors like O’Neill Burke have discretion to choose which cases they pursue,<b> </b>and she released guidance outlining her approach<b> </b>in February.</p><p>Under the plan, a law enforcement agency would lead a criminal investigation by collecting and preserving evidence. Then, prosecutors would conduct an independent review of all evidence and make charging decisions.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/04/24/chicago-trump-midway-blitz-crime-ice-border-patrol-oneill-burke\" >Ruling on whether to appoint a special prosecutor to probe Midway Blitz agents expected in coming weeks</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>But weeks later, the coalition filed a petition that accused O’Neill Burke of <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/03/12/chicago-cook-county-oneill-burke-trump-ice-border-patrol-midway-blitz-special-prosecutor\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>turning a “blind eye”</u></a> to “egregious acts of violence”<b> </b>by Midway Blitz agents.<b> </b>The coalition complained that she’d “never stated publicly that she has any intention to investigate these crimes,” and it suggested she might fear White House retaliation.</p><p>O’Neill Burke countered that she’s not intimidated by “vague”<b> </b>threats of political retaliation. She called the coalition’s efforts “frivolous”<b> </b>and<b> </b>“heavy-handed”<b> </b>and said it <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/03/24/chicago-cook-county-trump-ice-border-patrol-midway-blitz-special-prosecutor-oneill-burke-loevy\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>could actually “thwart” justice</u></a>.</p><p>Then the coalition <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/04/21/oneill-burke-trump-midway-blitz-special-prosecutor-chicago-cook-county\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>pointed to emails</u></a> sent last August, when President Donald Trump<b> </b>threatened to deploy National Guard troops into Chicago. O’Neill Burke’s office declined to sign on to a statement criticizing the Trump administration because she wanted to maintain her “excellent working relationships”<b> </b>with federal law enforcement.</p><p>“The State’s Attorney has an alliance with federal law enforcement that prevents her from taking action against the federal agents alleged to have committed crimes during Operation Midway Blitz,” the coalition’s<b> </b>lawyers wrote.</p><p><i>Neither the reporter nor editors who worked on this story — including some represented by the News Guild — have been involved in the litigation described in this article.</i></p>",
  "title": "Cook County judge rejects push to appoint special prosecutor to probe Chicago area deportation blitz",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-21T16:09:17.694Z"
}