OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:36 PM – Friday, October 31, 2025
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday that a joint 287(g) operation with the Indiana State Police has led to the arrest of 223 illegal aliens on Indiana highways near the Illinois border, including 146 commercial truck drivers.
Federal commercial driver’s license (CDL) rules and federal/regulatory actions require states to verify identity and lawful presence for most CDLs and for certain endorsements, and the federal government has since tightened rules about non-domiciled CDLs. A Social Security number or other proof of legal status is required for initial issuance, renewal, and certain endorsements.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) also require all CDL holders to: “Read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.”
According to the DHS, the top three U.S. states issuing the CDLs were Illinois, California, and New York — Democrat-run states.
The enforcement action, which was conducted in Northwest Indiana as part of the Chicago-based Operation Midway Blitz, targeted criminal activity among the arrestees, including:
- Driving under the influence
- Drug trafficking
- Theft
- Burglary
- Assault
- Child abuse
- Domestic battery
- Prostitution
- Fraud
Some of the CDLs of illegal aliens arrested in the operation can be found below:
“Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet, sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses. The Trump Administration is ending the chaos,” said Secretary Noem. “Thanks to President Trump, Operation Midway Blitz has already removed over 140 illegal alien truck drivers in Indiana. The brave men and women of ICE and the Indiana State Police are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads.”
“Indiana is the Crossroads of America, and that’s something we’re proud of — but it also means we must stay vigilant about those using our interstates for crime and thus endangering our communities,” said Governor Mike Braun. “The safety of our state is our top priority, and we’ll keep working with our federal partners to keep Hoosiers — and Americans — safe.”
“ICE launched Operation Midway Blitz to remove illegal alien threats to public safety, which is exactly what we have done in Chicago. We recognized from the start that this must include protecting roadways carrying interstate traffic and cargo. Sanctuary policies like those in Illinois sadly don’t recognize borders, and ICE and the Indiana State Police have successfully arrested hundreds of illegal alien truck drivers who should not be operating on our highways,” said ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons. “In recent weeks, we have seen illegal semi-truck drivers responsible for significant loss of life across the country. This was preventable, and that is precisely why we are working to ensure this doesn’t happen in Indiana or Illinois.”
“This operation wouldn’t have been as successful as it was without our strong 287(g) partnership with the Indiana State Police. Protecting communities from criminal illegal aliens also includes those posing safety threats on our interstates,” said ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan. “When cities and states partner with us, communities are safer, and as this operation has proven, our efforts in Indiana extend protection to those living in the sanctuary state of Illinois as well.”
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