CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson attempted to clarify part of his executive order aimed at ICE actions in Chicago, after Cook County's top prosecutor called it "inappropriate."
The mayor told reporters here Tuesday that his team's conversations with the office of State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke have not stopped since his January 31 executive order directing Chicago police to collect evidence when ICE agents break the law in the city.
"It's important that all of us come together to create a pathway for accountability," the mayor said. "There are district attorneys across this country who are organizing around this very issue."
But the order includes language that says the police department will present evidence to the State's Attorney "at the direction of the mayor's office." O'Neill Burke has indicated to her staff that the appearance of political involvement could jeopardize some cases.
The mayor tried to downplay that.
"The direction is to the police department, not to the state's attorney. That is within my authority," he said, adding that the order was designed to make sure "there is no ambiguity about how the police department can engage when they're on site and if they're witnessing abusive behavior."
He also said the order does not mean the mayor plays a role in determining whether a case moves forward.