The rate of 911 calls made in Chicago has dropped precipitously in the two months since the start of Operation Midway Blitz, a Tribune review of city data found.

And nowhere is the decrease more pronounced than in Little Village, home to Chicago’s largest Mexican American population, where calls to 911 have fallen by more than 21% since the surge of federal immigration officers began, city data show.

Neighborhood leaders acknowledge a sharp year-over-year decline in crime, but note that the wave of immigration enforcement has left many residents in fear of calling 911 for help during that stretch.

The decline reflects more than just safer streets in Little Village, said Matt DeMateo, executive director of New Life Centers, a nonprofit serving youths and families in Little Village. It’s

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