Boutros Drops 4-Protester ICE Case as Critics Cite 90% Midway Blitz Declination Rate
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Law · Jun 2
Boutros Drops 4-Protester ICE Case as Critics Cite 90% Midway Blitz Declination Rate
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Law · Jun 2
Four anti-ICE protesters had their case dismissed after Judge April Perry found apparent grand jury improprieties and said prosecutors had redacted evidence of that conduct from transcripts first given to her.
Andrew Boutros said he learned of some misconduct only in late April, then dropped felony conspiracy counts and later the misdemeanor case, while ordering new grand jury disclosure procedures.
Boutros' office defended its broader Operation Midway Blitz handling, saying it shifted tactics after early failures and ultimately declined to prosecute about 90% of related arrests, blaming some non-indictments on strained grand jury practice and jury nullification.
At least eight former Chicago federal prosecutors told Bloomberg Law the episode raises serious credibility questions and suggests Boutros is aligning the office with Washington's political priorities rather than its traditional nonpartisan norms.
The fallout has widened beyond the case: at least seven section chiefs have left since November, and Illinois Democrats including Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have called for Boutros to resign.