“Our local police department will not ever cooperate with ICE,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during a Tuesday press conference in which he addressed immigration raids in the city and more.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to be tough on illegal immigration and even before his inauguration, Johnson’s administration moved to reaffirm its “commitment to the welcoming city ordinance,” and to remain in compliance of the Illinois Trust Act. Chicago’s ordinance outlines guidelines for dealing with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
ICE raids in Chicago began shortly after Trump took office. Audacy’s WBBM Newsradio reported that targeted operations were carried out near the end of January, with incidents in the Belmont Cragin, Albany Park and Hermosa neighborhoods of the city and more.
Officials and community leaders alike quickly to responded Trump administration actions, with Cardinal Blase Cupich calling reports of immigration raid threats “profoundly disturbing” and faith leaders at the multi-domination Lake Street Church in Evanston, Ill., voicing their support for Chicagoland immigrants and declaring that the church would serve as a sanctuary.
ICE raids have continued throughout the country this year and even broke into protests and altercations in the Los Angeles area. In California, leaders have also pledged not to work with ICE.
Last month, WBBM reported that protestors gathered at the Plaza Tenochtitlan on W. 18th Street and S. Loomis in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood to demand “answers over a perceived collaboration between ICE and CPD,” on June 4. Per the report, event organizer Omar Flores with The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) said that he had video recording of Chicago Police Department “white shirts” having at least one conversation with an ICE officer.
During Chicago’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights hearing last Tuesday, City Council members called for transparency from Chicago Police about their involvement with that June 4 ICE operation in the South Loop, WBBM said. Immigrant Committee Chair Andre Vasquez called the hearing. He and other alderpeople said they were concerned that CPD violated the welcoming city ordinance.
With the passing of the “Big Beautiful Bill” spending legislation last week came more funding for the Trump administration’s plans to crack down on illegal immigration. According to Johnson, “ICE will now have a larger budget than all but 15 of the world’s militaries.”
“This is a direct assault on the civil liberties of all Americans and will fundamentally undermine our rights,” he said. City officials also said that Chicago has been working with legal counsel to determine its actions and that it is working with a group of 12 cities across the U.S. with similar pledges not to work with ICE.