Judge orders ICE to release over 300 detainees next week, arrested during Operation Midway Blitz

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to release over 300 illegal migrants next week, who were detained during "Operation Midway Blitz." 

The Trump administration launched the operation in September in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run allegedly caused by an illegal migrant from Guatemala.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated the Castañon Nava settlement during the operation, which bars agents from arresting people without warrants, per Axios. 

The judge told DHS to provide details on the status and flight risk of 615 people ICE detained without a warrant between June and early October by Friday, and provide status reports on the people ICE and Customs and Border Protection have arrested in Chicago by Nov. 19.

The agency also needs to release 313 people that were already determined to have been detained in violation of the Castañon Nava agreement and deemed as low flight risks by Nov. 21.

“There would be nothing for me to do if the arrests of the people here were done in accordance with the agreement,” Cummings said. “But in the event that there are allegations that the people are arrested in violation of this consent decree, I will react and take appropriate actions.”

Other detainees deemed not to be a security risk can be released on a $1,500 bond and monitored through GPS ankle monitoring or in some other form. High risk detainees must remain in custody. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.