Chicago officials slam Brandon Johnson’s new ICE guidelines: ‘Who is the mayor trying to protect?’
Chicago officials lashed out Mayor Brandon Johnson for issuing new guidelines for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Johnson on Friday published guidelines on how to handle ICE visits on city property, while reaffirming his administration’s “commitment to the city’s welcoming ordinance.”
In preparation for the change in federal administration, the mayor’s office assured the city that the city will continue to comply with the Illinois Foundation Act of 2017, which prohibits local police from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
If ICE enters city property, Johnson’s guidelines advise, “Contact your agency or department’s authorized attorney or general counsel for further instructions. Contact the highest-ranking official or designated supervisor on site and take no action until that person arrives.”
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As the migrant crisis continues and crime rises in the Windy City, Mayor Johnson enacts a 60-day eviction policy from migrant shelters. (Getty Images/AP)
The guidelines say they require copies of warrants, not to consent to ICE entering “any private or ‘sensitive’ locations,” but not to interfere with any search, even if it is refused. There are further recommendations, including keeping notes and keeping written records from that time.
“The mayor and legal counsel are in communication with department heads about guidelines to ensure Chicago remains a welcoming city for all its residents,” the mayor’s office said.
But Councilman Ray Lopez of the 15th Ward condemned Johnson’s efforts, po FOX 32 Chicago.
“I’m surprised, actually, that the mayor is going through this extraordinary effort to try to stop what Ald. Tabares and I want to do, which is to remove the small number of individuals who choose to commit crimes in the city of Chicago,” Lopez said.
He went on to say,
Lopez’s comments came after he and fellow 23rd Ward Alderman Silvana Tabares proposed an amendment to the Welcoming City Ordinance. According to FOX 32, their legislation would allow local agencies to work with ICE to target undocumented individuals who have been “arrested or convicted of certain crimes.”
“The narrative from the mayor and his allies is that we’re trying to remove everything — that’s just not the case,” Lopez said.
He noted that the arrests must be from “One of four categories of crimes: gang-related activity, drug-related activity, prostitution and human trafficking, or sex crimes involving minors.”
The bill is expected to be voted on at Wednesday’s city council meeting.
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Since the beginning of the year, many Chicago residents have been protesting against accommodating the influx of migrants into their neighborhoods. (Screenshot/Fox 32 Chicago )
Lopez further explained that the Trump administration will focus on undocumented individuals and those with Temporary Protected Status who have criminal histories and are “dangerous.”
“We’re seeing Congress even moving in that direction, in a bipartisan way. Why don’t we try to join them in this effort? It really begs the question who is the mayor trying to protect and why is he so adamant about protecting criminals here in the city of Chicago,” he said. .
Trump’s pick for border czarTom Homan, vowed to head to Chicago with tough enforcement while criticizing Illinois political leaders.
Recently arrived migrants sit on beds and the floor of a city-run makeshift shelter at O’Hare International Airport on August 31, 2023. ((Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))
Speaking at a Republican holiday party last month, Homan detailed his plan, promising to verify the status of asylum seekers and arrest anyone harboring illegal immigrants.
Furthermore, Homan warned that Johnson would be prosecuted if he obstructed ICE’s Mass Deportation Efforts.
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Chicago officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Fox News Digital.
