CHICAGO (WLS) — An Illinois group revealed some results from its investigation into “Operation Midway Blitz” Monday.
The public hearing revolved around well-publicized incidents that took place during the immigration enforcement operation.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The information was not new, but some of the video evidence was, including body-worn camera footage from the agents themselves showing their sometimes violent interactions with protesters.
One protester shared her story.
It was Oct. 31 last year. Protesters gathered around a vehicle that witnesses said had just been brake-checked by federal immigration officers in Evanston. Agents violently pulled out the vehicle’s occupants, detaining some of those who gathered to document what was happening. Among them was lawyer Jennifer Moriarty.
“One of the agents grabbed me by the neck, threw me to the ground and tried to handcuff me. I wasn’t resisting,” Moriarty said.
Moriarty was seen on the ground. Her shoes were knocked off during the struggle. She was later placed inside one of the agent’s vehicles, as the confrontation continued to unfold.
“They gave me no reason. There was no paperwork. There was no processing. There was no nothing,” Moriarty said.
SEE ALSO: Cook County judge considers petition for special prosecutor for ‘Midway Blitz’ cases
Moriarty’s story was just one of several featured during Monday’s meeting of the Illinois Accountability Commission, which was created last October by Gov. JB Pritzker, who spoke Monday on CNN.
“It’s really to keep a record so that when either there’s a Democratic congress or a Democratic president or anybody that will actually hold people accountable for breaking the law or breaching their law enforcement protocols, that they will be held accountable and responsible,” Pritzker said.
So far the commission has held three public hearings, conducting 16 independent investigations and dozens of interviews. They’ve also reviewed what they say are hundreds of hours of video evidence, including the body-worn camera shown Monday.
“This evidence is not hard to collect. It’s all over the place,” Judge Ruben Castillo said.
Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino and former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were among the Trump administration officials invited to testify during the panel. They declined.
DHS has not responded to requests for comment Monday, but they have repeatedly stood by agents’ actions during “Operation Midway Blitz.”
The panel will gather once again Tuesday for what is expected to be the last public hearing before they present their findings to the governor later this week. Among those expected to testify is Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman shot five times by officers last October.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.