Border Patrol agents have carried out more arrests in the Chicago area than their counterparts at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, illustrating the expanded role they are playing far away from U.S. borders under the Trump administration, internal federal government data obtained by CBS News indicates.

This week, arrests by Customs and Border Protection in the Chicago-area "Midway Blitz" operation surpassed those recorded by ICE, the agency that is, on paper, responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws in the interior of the country.

Since Operation Midway Blitz began on Sept. 16, agents at CBP have recorded roughly 1,500 arrests in the Chicago region, compared to over 1,400 arrests carried out by ICE officers, according to the internal Department of Homeland Security figures.

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