The Trump administration’s plan to send federal officers into the city of Chicago was opposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson on Saturday. The mayor’s executive order prohibits the Chicago Police Department from assisting with federal civil immigration enforcement or in related patrols, traffic stops, and checkpoints during the operation.
Johnson emphasised that all city departments must protect the constitutional rights of residents amid the possibility of National Guard deployments by the federal government for immigration enforcement. In response to a question about federal agents who are seemingly “taking orders”, Johnson said, “Yeah, and I don’t take orders from the federal government.”
Additionally, the mayor barred Chicago police officers from wearing face coverings to conceal their identities, a tactic commonly used by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents under the current administration, reports UNB/AP.
The federal immigration surge is expected to last for 30 days, starting as early as September 5, with Chicago being one of the key cities targeted as part of a broader effort to increase law enforcement presence in Democratic-run cities. Officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed the plan to deploy federal agents to Chicago and pointed to a similar operation earlier this summer in Los Angeles.
US President Donald Trump responded to the city’s crime issues, commenting on Truth Social about the killings and shootings in Chicago. He criticised Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for rejecting federal help, adding, “He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming! MAGA. President DJT”
Unlike the federal intervention in Washington, DC, which involved the National Guard and military, the Chicago operation will focus exclusively on immigration, rather than an overarching crime initiative. Chicago is home to a significant immigrant community, and both the city and state of Illinois have some of the strongest rules against cooperating with the federal immigration enforcement in the country, often clashing with the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda.
In his news conference, Mayor Johnson accused President Trump of overstepping constitutional bounds and using the federal presence as a political tool against his rivals., calling him “reckless” and “out of control”.
“He’s the biggest threat to our democracy that we’ve experienced in the history of our country,” stated Johnson.
In response, the White House defended the surge, claiming it was intended to fight crime. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded on Saturday, “If these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticise the President, their communities would be much safer.”
