DHS said it launched Operation Midway Blitz in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old college student killed in a January 19, 2025, drunken-driving hit-and-run in Urbana, Illinois.
The department said the crash was caused by a criminal illegal alien; the vehicle carrying Abraham was stopped at a red light when it was struck at nearly 80 mph.
Two young women were killed and three other people were seriously injured in the collision, making Abraham's death the stated catalyst for the new operation.
The report frames the launch as part of a broader immigration-enforcement and public-safety push, tying the case to criticism of sanctuary policies and reduced cooperation with federal authorities.