Chicago has seen a significant decrease in violent crime, according to a recent report by Axios. The city led the nation with a 22.1% reduction in overall violent crime during the first nine months of 2025. In the first half of the year, homicides in Chicago dropped by 33%, which is twice the national average.
Despite these results, there has been controversy over who should receive credit for this decline. A leaked email from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin revealed that the Trump administration sought to claim responsibility for the drop in violence, although “Operation Midway Blitz” did not begin until September 8th. In her email, McLaughlin stated that the administration was “celebrating” reduced crime rates and said, “Thanks to DHS law enforcement, Chicago has experienced the fewest summer murders since 1965!” While it is accurate that Chicago saw its lowest number of summer homicides since 1965, Operation Midway Blitz had not yet started at that time.
Mayor Johnson responded: “It is a slap in the face to the men and women of our Chicago Police Department who worked hard and put their lives on the line throughout the summer to drive down crime and violence for the Trump administration to attempt to 'take credit' for the reduction when they weren’t even in Chicago. It's also an insult to the Community Violence Intervention workers who put themselves in harm’s way to de-escalate conflicts on the most challenging blocks in Chicago, and to the countless community organizations that have been doing the steady work to reduce violence in their neighborhoods for decades.”
Mayor Johnson attributed these reductions to efforts by both police officers and investments into community safety programs such as Community Violence Intervention (CVI), youth employment initiatives during summer months, and violence prevention programs. He also noted improvements made by modernizing CPD’s detectives bureau, removing illegal firearms through coordinated efforts with other agencies, legal actions taken against gun crimes, and directing resources toward historically underserved communities.
The statistics cited by DHS and President Trump matched those found in McLaughlin’s leaked communication. However, city officials say these numbers are misleading because they do not reflect changes since Operation Midway Blitz began but instead mirror broader year-to-date figures or progress made since Mayor Johnson took office.
Citywide data shows homicides are down 31.5%, shootings decreased by 40.5%, vehicular hijackings fell by 47%, and all violent crime dropped by 29.5% from early September through year-to-date measures.
In contrast, reductions were smaller within areas where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been active—specifically within Chicago's ninth and tenth police districts—where homicides fell only 7.7%. Shootings declined there by 32.9%, below city averages over similar periods; this does not include incidents such as a U.S. citizen being shot five times by federal agents or other reported confrontations involving ICE/CBP personnel.
The Chicago Tribune reported a sharp decrease in emergency calls from residents within these districts after ICE/CBP operations began.
Year-to-date statistics show:
- Homicides: down 29.2%
- Shooting victimizations: down 36%
- Robbery victimizations: down 34.2%
- Vehicular hijackings: down 48.3%
- All violent crime: down 22.4%
Since Mayor Johnson assumed office:
- Homicides: down 39.6%
- Shootings: down 45.8%
- Violent crime: down 29.8%
Mayor Johnson anticipated attempts from former President Trump’s administration to take credit for falling crime rates earlier this fall:
“The fact of the matter is we are driving violence down in this city and we’re using every single resource that’s available to us,” said Mayor Johnson on September 16th.“Now we’re doing the work that’s working, and now everyone has these ideas.This is a group project,but we’re not going to allow the President...to put his name on our paper.No.We’re not going to tolerate it.”
He added,“The Trump administration has shifted strategies from fear-mongering about crime in Chicago to attempting to take credit for reduction in crime and violence.You cannot have it both ways.”
Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood commented,“The reductions that we have seen are because of hard work of CPD,the hard work of CVI,the hard work of Chicagoans...who have stepped forward...This work began long before ICE arrived,and it will continue long after they’re gone.”
Deputy Mayor for Immigrant,Migrant,and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce de Leon said,“ICE has not made our city safer.They have caused fear,chaos,and confusion...and they have put people in harm’s way.That’s not safety.It is important that Chicagoans continue educating their communities on their rights...We know ICE may return with larger force,we will continue staying vigilant.”
Since Operation Midway Blitz began,federal agents were involved with several controversial incidents including shooting an unarmed father,tasing civilians,detainee mistreatment,and confrontations with local authorities.
According to Axios,the Council on Criminal Justice found that during early months of this year,Chicago doubled national homicide reduction averages.Their analysis highlights ongoing progress compared nationally across major cities.