Chicago mayor orders police to investigate alleged illegal ICE activity in city | Chicago
Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson ordered Chicago police to investigate and document alleged illegal activities by federal immigration (ICE) agents in the city; It’s a move that will increase jurisdictional tensions between local and federal officials.
executive order titled ICE on tipIt gives Chicago police a “clear procedure” to follow if they witness or take reports of ICE agents engaging in illegal activity and send evidence of possible violations to city prosecutors.
Johnson: “No one is above the law” He said in a statement on Twitter/X. “With today’s order, we are calling out ICE in our city. Chicago is leading the way as the first city to create the infrastructure to hold ICE and CBP agents accountable for crimes committed against our communities.”
The ruling comes after a federal judge ordered him to reject Minnesota’s bid to temporarily block immigration crackdowns and reject an argument that the state’s federal immigration crackdown does not violate the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, which limits federal powers.
Chicago’s move paves a different path, giving federal law enforcement authority in the city authority to investigate and prosecute their actions. But federal officials often have the authority to block local investigations, and federal judges often uphold federal authority over local authorities, especially in immigration-related matters.
City officials drafted the measure in response to immigration operations that “violate constitutionally protected rights, destabilize communities, and lead to life-threatening conflicts while remaining free from local or civilian oversight,” according to the mayor’s office.
The order allows Chicago police to ensure that body camera footage captured during an incident is preserved; attempting to identify the federal supervisory officer at the scene; and report any violations of state or local law by federal agents.
Cook County’s state attorney’s office said it is “committed to protecting public safety, ensuring accountability, and upholding the rule of law with our law enforcement partners.”
The directive comes amid growing concerns in Chicago that ICE operations could increase in the city as operations in Minneapolis begin to wind down, as the Trump administration has indicated it will do so subject to local cooperation.
Johnson signed an executive order in October that aimed to limit where federal agents could gather, declaring city-owned or controlled parking lots, vacant lots and garages as “ICICE-FREE” zones.
Last week he called for a national civil rights movement in response to federal immigration actions.
“This moment requires courage, not the pragmatic pragmatism of a tyrant,” he said. “That’s actually how we got into this mess. It’s because we were so cold-blooded. As Democrats, we nibbled on the sidelines and gave in to corporations and the ultra-rich instead of fighting for and defending the interests of working people.”
He added that his administration is looking at ways “not only to indict and investigate federal overreach, but also how we can create a process that will allow these individuals to be prosecuted.”
Donald Trump on Saturday warned that he would not send federal aid to quell protests in “poorly run” Democratic cities unless they asked for help.
“I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that under no circumstances will we participate in the Protests and/or Riots of the various poorly run Democratic Cities unless and until they ask for our assistance.” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“However, we will very vigorously defend any Federal Buildings that are attacked by these highly paid Crazies, Agitators and Insurrectionists,” he added.
