Cities across the United States are developing novel tactics to protect residents from federal immigration agents, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations intensify in places like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles. From creating 'ICE-free zones' to blocking warehouse purchases for detention centres, local officials are pushing back against federal enforcement.
Several cities, counties, and states have established 'ICE-free zones' by restricting immigration agents' access to government-owned and public spaces, such as hospitals, courthouses, and parks. While these measures cannot completely bar agents, they facilitate potential lawsuits against those who enter. This strategy echoes the 1980s 'sanctuary city' movement, which re-emerged during the first Trump administration to oppose family separation and ICE raids.
In October last year, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson created an 'ICE-free zone' via executive order amid the Department of Homeland Security's 'Operation Midway Blitz'. Similar actions have since been taken in Oakland, San Jose, Richmond (California), Los Angeles County, Washtenaw County (Michigan), Providence (Rhode Island), New York City, and New Jersey.
To improve accountability after incidents like the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE agent, officials in Chicago and Philadelphia are proposing new avenues for lawsuits. Chicago's mayor has ordered police to document federal agents to build cases for prosecuting misconduct. In Philadelphia, District Attorney Larry Krasner helped form the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach (Fafo), a coalition sharing strategies for prosecuting federal agents who break state laws.
Communities have also successfully blocked ICE's attempts to buy warehouses for detention centres. In Ashland, Virginia, over 100 protesters lobbied against a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offer to buy a warehouse, leading the Canadian owner to reject the deal. In Oklahoma City, residents packed a city council meeting to oppose a similar DHS purchase, with the Republican mayor meeting the warehouse owners to express concerns.
