Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order directing city departments to resist federal immigration enforcement efforts, as the Trump administration prepares to deploy agents to the city. The order, signed on Saturday, bars the Chicago Police Department from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement, including patrols, traffic stops, and checkpoints.
Johnson accused the Trump administration of being “out of control” and warned of a possible “militarized immigration or national guard deployment.” He stated, “I don’t take orders from the federal government,” and also prohibited Chicago police from wearing face coverings to hide their identities, a practice adopted by many ICE officers.
The White House has requested the use of a military base near Chicago to support immigration operations, as part of a broader plan targeting Democratic-run “sanctuary cities.” Chicago and Illinois have some of the strongest laws against cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, often clashing with Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
Border czar Tom Homan confirmed that Chicago would be targeted, saying, “Get out of the way, because we’re going to do it.” Johnson responded by calling Trump “reckless and out of control” and “the biggest threat to our democracy.” The White House defended the operation as a crime-fighting measure, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker described a potential national guard deployment as an “invasion.”
