Mayors from Chicago’s west suburbs are supporting leaders in Broadview as they fight ICE’s actions aimed at protesters outside the agency’s processing center.
And they’re also getting assistance from former Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The former federal prosecutor may no longer have an office on the fifth floor of Chicago City Hall, but she said she’s maintained friendships and relationships with many suburban leaders, including Broadview mayor Katrina Thompson.
“When I saw what was happening here in Broadview, I reached out to Mayor Thompson and offered my support … sister to sister, mayor to mayor,” Lightfoot told reporters yesterday in Broadview, where she joined Thompson and other suburban leaders to talk about their opposition to ICE actions. “I put on my lawyer’s hat, I put on my former prosecutor’s hat and I put on my hat of friendship for these mayors and say ‘anything that you need from me, I’m here to support.’ ”
Lightfoot said she’s deeply disturbed by the actions of ICE agents … not just on Michigan Avenue and in the Chicago River, but in Broadview, where many people are affected by tear gas and other chemical irritants deployed against protesters.
“They are experiencing the wrath of federal law enforcement run amok – and they deserve to live a peaceful life,” she said, describing ICE agents as acting as though they’re an armed militia unaccountable to the people.
“They need to take the masks off, they need to abide by and respect local law enforcement and local rules.”
She said she’s offering her services as a private citizen, and not as a consultant or employee.