Chicago officials slammed Mayor Brandon Johnson for issuing new guidelines for dealing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Johnson on Friday released guidelines for how to handle ICE visits on city property, while reaffirming his administration’s “commitment to the welcoming city ordinance.”
Bracing for a change in federal administration, the mayor’s office assured the city would continue to comply with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
Should ICE enter city property, Johnson’s guidelines advise, “Contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. Contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor onsite and do not take any action until that person arrives.”
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The guidance says to demand copies of warrants, not to consent to ICE entering “any private or ‘sensitive’ locations,” but not to interfere with any search, even if refused. There are further recommendations, including taking notes and keeping contemporaneous written records.
“The Mayor and Corporation Counsel are in communication with department heads about guidelines to ensure Chicago remains a welcoming city for all of its residents,” the mayor’s office said.
But, Alderman Ray Lopez of the 15th Ward slammed Johnson’s efforts, per FOX 32 Chicago.
“I am surprised, actually, that the mayor is going through this extraordinary effort to try and 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 his colleague Alderman Silvana Tabares of the 23rd Ward 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 for, or convicted of certain crimes.”
“The narrative out there by the mayor and his allies is that we’re trying to remove everyone—that’s simply not the case,” Lopez said.
He noted 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 legislation is expected to be voted on at a city council meeting on Wednesday.
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Lopez explained further that the Trump administration will focus on undocumented individuals and those with Temporary Protected Status who have a criminal background and “are dangerous.”
“We see Congress is even moving in that direction, in a bipartisan manner. Why wouldn’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 hell-bent on protecting criminals here in the City of Chicago,” he said.
Trump’s border czar pick, Tom Homan, pledged to go after Chicago with strict enforcement as he criticized Illinois political leaders.
Speaking at a GOP holiday party last month, Homan detailed his plan, vowing to verify the status of asylum seekers and arrest anyone providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
Furthermore, Homan warned that Johnson would be prosecuted should he obstruct ICE’s mass deportation efforts.
Chicago officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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