The Chicago City Council on Wednesday blocked a proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain migrants with criminal records.
Chicago’s “hospitable city” ordinance, in accordance with the Illinois Trust Act of 2017, prohibits local law enforcement officers from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
Ald Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares wanted to change the ordinance so that police could work with ICE to target migrants who had been arrested for gang or drug-related activities or sex crimes involving minors. Their measure was criticized at the time by activist groups they first introduced the measure in 2023.
The two officials saw their proposal change is rejected by a vote of 39-11.
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Jordan, a Chicago resident, denounced the proposed change to the city’s ordinance that would ban local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE.
Before Chicago officials rejected the proposed amendment, Jordan Kelly, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and resident of the 30th Ward, said: spoke out against Lopez and Tabares’ proposed change.
“Self-hating cowards like Ray Lopez and Tabares want to make our city a hell for migrants who are not only Latin by the way. CAIR Chicago currently has 40 to 50 open asylum cases. What are we going to tell these people and families? And if we don’t remain a place of refuge, our economy won’t be able to cope with mass deportations,” Kelly said.
Immigration is a heated issue in the Windy City as officials have dealt with a surge of migrants in recent years. Many Chicagoans are frustrated with city officials, especially Mayor Brandon Johnson and his handling of the situation.
A resident who spoke at Wednesday’s city council meeting denounced Johnson
“Who are you loyal to? The American citizens in Chicago or the illegal immigrants in Chicago?” the man said. “The sanctuary law that Brandon Johnson allowed has created criminals, drug dealers and now terrorists.”
One resident blasted Mayor Brandon Johnson for turning the city into a “haven” for illegal immigrants.
The vote to block the measure came after Johnson last week new guidelines issued before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Johnson guidelines advise that if ICE were to enter city property, “contact the designated attorney or general counsel of your agency or department for further guidance. Contact the highest-ranking official or designated supervisor on site and take no action until that person arrives.”
The guidelines advise officers to require copies of arrest warrants, not to allow ICE to enter “private or ‘sensitive’ locations,” but not to interfere with searches even if they are denied. There are other recommendations, such as taking notes and keeping contemporaneous written records.
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In response to the mayor’s directives, Lopez said Johnson is making an “extraordinary effort” to stop his proposal to remove immigrants with criminal records.
“I’m actually surprised that the mayor is making 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 told FOX 32 Chicago. “The narrative from the mayor and his allies is that we are trying to remove everyone – that is simply not the case.”
Chicago residents ripped Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during a recent city council meeting called to vote on his new property tax increase proposal. (Reuters/Vincent Alban)
Trump’s choice for border czarTom Homan vowed to go after Chicago with strict enforcement, pledging to verify the status of asylum seekers and arrest anyone harboring illegal immigrants.
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The incoming border czar also warned that Johnson would be prosecuted if he stood in the way ICE’s mass deportation efforts.
Neither Lopez nor Tabares did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
