DHS Closes Command Center at Naval Station Great Lakes, North Chicago

(NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) The Department of Homeland Security quietly ended one of the most visible symbols of its recent immigration crackdown in the Chicago suburbs on Friday, closing its temporary command center at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago after more than two months of intense operations tied to the controversial “Midway Blitz” enforcement push.

According to officials briefed on the move, the facility, which served as a joint base for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tactical teams, was shut down on the afternoon of November 15, 2025, formally marking the end of the federal government’s physical command presence at the sprawling Navy installation.

While DHS closes the site and relocates key personnel, the department has made clear that immigration enforcement will continue in the wider Chicago area, leaving many local residents uncertain about what may come next.

Timeline and scale of the operation

The shutdown comes just over ten weeks after Midway Blitz began on September 5, 2025, bringing waves of federal agents in camouflage, carrying military-style weapons and wearing masks, into Lake County and suburban neighborhoods north of Chicago.

From the command center at Naval Station Great Lakes, ICE and CBP coordinated:
– raids,
– vehicle stops,
– and street operations

These activities spread fear through immigrant communities and drew sharp criticism from local leaders and civil rights lawyers.

Reported tactics and local impact

Residents reported seeing unmarked vehicles racing through residential streets and teams of armed officers entering homes and businesses, sometimes in the early hours of the morning.

Federal officials described the activity as a large-scale enforcement effort aimed at removing dangerous criminals and enforcing immigration law. But local accounts, along with preliminary detention data, suggest a far broader sweep that pulled in many people who posed no public safety risk and, in many cases, no immigration violation at all.

Specific tactics reported

• Deployment of tear gas and pepper balls
• Ramming vehicles
• Pointing loaded weapons at unarmed people, including bystanders
• People pushed to the ground, struck with batons, and restrained with plastic ties
• Medical volunteers treating respiratory problems, bruises, and anxiety attacks

Videos shared with local authorities — some forwarded to congressional staff — show chaotic and often traumatic encounters. For families with mixed status, simple routines like going to work or school became a source of constant fear.

Who was detained

Among the most alarming details is the profile of those detained during the operation. According to internal figures shared with local officials and advocacy groups:

• Roughly 71.5% of those detained had no criminal history at all.
• A majority of those taken into custody were either U.S. citizens or long-time residents with no serious criminal record.

Community leaders say families scrambled to find relatives taken from workplaces, parking lots, and sidewalks with little warning. Some U.S. citizens were reportedly held for hours while agents checked databases, despite having valid identity documents.

Lawyers say these practices raise serious questions about:
– racial profiling,
– due process,
– and constitutional rights.

Political and community responses

Political reaction has been strongest in communities closest to Naval Station Great Lakes, where armored vehicles entering and leaving the base became a daily reminder.

• North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham told federal contacts the end of the command presence brings deep relief, especially for the city’s large Latino population and other immigrant groups.
  • His office emphasized that local police were not in charge of Midway Blitz and often did not receive advance notice.
• Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham stated the city will keep “supporting immigrants regardless of status” and will not allow federal actions to change local policy on access to services.

Those statements were welcomed by churches, community groups, and school leaders that spent weeks answering questions from frightened parents and workers.

Federal stance and redeployment plans

Federal leaders say the enforcement is not ending.

• DHS officials described the shutdown at Naval Station Great Lakes as a shift in resource deployment, not a retreat.
• They confirmed CBP Commander Gregory Bovino and many agents will relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina, citing winter weather as a major factor.

Officials explained:
– Colder conditions, snow, and shorter daylight hours can complicate surveillance and ground operations in northern states.
– It is unclear whether the same teams will return to the Chicago area in spring 2026 or if Midway Blitz will be treated as a one-time surge.

Accountability and legal challenges

For many residents and advocates, questions now focus on accountability for what already took place.

• Civil rights lawyers are collecting testimony from people who say they were stopped without cause, subjected to force, or detained despite being U.S. citizens.
• Some are preparing complaints to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
• Others are urging Illinois members of Congress to demand hearings and detailed data on:
  • how cases were chosen,
  • what criteria agents used on the ground,
  • and how many detained have since been released without charges or immigration proceedings.

Longer-term immigration consequences

Immigration attorneys warn the deeper impact will be felt in immigration courts and administrative records for months or years.

• Many arrested will now face removal proceedings that involve complex rules and short deadlines.
• Those with long family histories in the U.S. may be eligible for relief but often need time to gather documents and secure legal help.
• Advocates worry some cases launched from the command center relied on rushed or incomplete paperwork, potentially increasing later case dismissals.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, large enforcement surges in past years have sometimes led to spikes in later case dismissals when judges examined the strength of individual files and the conduct of arresting officers.

Questions about military-linked sites and domestic policing

The use of Naval Station Great Lakes — a major U.S. Navy training hub — as a planning hub raised broader concerns.

• The base’s proximity to diverse communities exacerbated fears that immigration policing was becoming more militarized.
• Critics worry blurring the line between military facilities and domestic enforcement damages trust with residents who have family serving in the armed forces or see the base as part of the community.

Legal and policy critics argue:
– Future decisions to use similar command centers should face more oversight and public debate, especially when operations touch schools, churches, and family neighborhoods.

DHS justification and public guidance

Inside DHS, officials emphasize that agencies have a legal duty to:
– carry out arrest warrants,
– execute removal orders,
– and respond to intelligence about people believed to pose security or public-safety risks.

A DHS spokesperson pointed to public guidance stating enforcement should prioritize:
– recent border crossers,
– people with certain criminal convictions,
– and those considered national-security threats.

That framework, posted on the department’s official website at https://www.dhs.gov, remains in place even as the command center shuts down. But critics say the high share of detainees with no criminal record undermines confidence in how those priorities were applied.

Key takeaway: DHS says priorities remain, but local numbers and witness accounts cast doubt on how those priorities were implemented on the ground.

Community recovery and ongoing fear

The end of the visible command center brought some calm, but many families have not returned to normal life.

• Parents still share warnings about rumored checkpoints or unmarked vans.
• Teachers report children remain jumpy when they hear sirens.
• Church leaders describe parishioners arriving at services with packed bags, fearful they might not be allowed home.

Community organizers are shifting from emergency response to longer-term support:
– helping families gather documents,
– educating residents about their rights,
– and connecting people with legal aid.

They worry the shadow of Midway Blitz will linger, reducing willingness to report crimes, visit clinics, or take part in public events.

Local government reviews and policy proposals

Local governments are quietly reviewing their interactions with federal agencies and considering changes, including:

• pushing for formal agreements requiring earlier notice when large federal teams plan to operate locally,
• demanding clearer communication channels for people who believe they were wrongly detained,
• investing in legal support through public defenders and nonprofit immigration lawyers.

Legal clinics argue that access to representation can determine whether someone is removed or allowed to remain with family. They also note that chaotic enforcement waves often affect child welfare, housing, and schools.

Looking ahead

For the Chicago region, the closure of the command hub at Naval Station Great Lakes marks a turning point but not an endpoint.

• The period from early September to mid-November 2025 will be remembered by many immigrant families as weeks of raids, confusion, and late-night searches for missing relatives.
• Attention now turns to how federal agencies will operate without a central base in North Chicago and whether lessons from Midway Blitz will change future strategy.

Community advocates will continue pressing for transparency, including clearer data on:
– who was arrested,
– the charges they face,
– how many have since been released.

They are also watching for signs that mobile teams could return in 2026 as weather improves.

For now, DHS closes its high-profile footprint on the Navy base, but the legal battles, policy debates, and personal scars left by the operation are likely to remain in the Chicago area for years. Many residents say trust in federal agencies has been badly shaken, perhaps permanently, in communities across Lake County.