The Chicago police The department said Monday it will not assist with threatened deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the Windy City, as President Trump vows to impose a comprehensive border security policy across the country.
President Trump returned to the White House on Monday, and during his inauguration he outlined plans to address illegal immigration and a weakened border.
“First, I will declare a national emergency on our southern border. All illegal entry will be stopped immediately, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places they came from,” Trump said, adding that he would end catch-and-release and to send troops to the southern border to repel what he called “a disastrous invasion of our country. “Invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use full and overwhelming the power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks, bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and downtowns.”
But despite President Trump’s promise to remove dangerous illegal immigrants and send them back to their countries, Chicago officials have vowed themselves not to follow through.
CHICAGO MAYOR REITERATES OPPOSITION TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S UPCOMING IMMIGRATION REFORM
Anti-Trump activists protest in Chicago’s Loop on Donald Trump’s inauguration day, Monday, January 20, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Chicago police said the municipal code includes laws that prevent them from assisting federal immigration authorities with enforcement based on immigration status. The department also noted that it does not document immigration status, nor does it share the immigration status of individuals with federal authorities.
City ordinance requires a supervisor to respond to the scene if an immigration agency requests assistance in a civil immigration enforcement operation.
If the request is for civil immigration law enforcement assistance, the supervisor will deny the request, but if unrelated to civil immigration law, the supervisor will take appropriate police action.
A Chicago police vehicle on a city street. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“To be clear, the Chicago Police Department will not assist or intervene in civil immigration enforcement pursuant to the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago,” the police department said in a statement. “As always, we will continue to enforce the law if a crime occurs, regardless of the nationality of those involved.”
The police department released the statement a day after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson doubled down on his pledge to oppose Trump’s sweeping reform aimed at removing dangerous illegal immigrants accused of crimes from the US when he returns to office.
The mayor’s office has assured the city that it will continue to comply with the Illinois Foundation Act of 2017, which prohibits local police from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
TRUMP’S SUPPORTERS ROCK CHICAGO’S MAYOR JUST DAYS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL REJECTS HIS TAX INCREASE
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has vowed not to assist federal agencies in immigration enforcement. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
“Chicago stands strong: no matter the circumstances, our commitment to protect and support this city remains unwavering,” Johnson wrote in a social media post. “We will continue to fight for justice and the safety of all who call this place home.”
Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants reside in Chicago, despite residents pleading with city officials that there are not enough resources to support them. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022, according to previous reports from Fox 32 Chicagoand thousands are in shelters.
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Migrant sheltering has sparked outrage from residents after it reportedly cost the city $574.5 million as of August 2022. At a previous city council meeting on Dec. 3, residents opposed a roughly $60 million property tax increase that was proposed to help officials helped to overcome the problem Budget deficit of one billion dollars until the end of last year.
Fox News Digital’s Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
