The Chicago Police Department said Monday it will not assist with looming deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the Windy City, as President Trump vows to impose sweeping border security policies across the country.
President Trump made his return to the White House on Monday, and during his inauguration, laid out plans to tackle issues surrounding illegal immigration and a weakened border.
“First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump said, adding that he will end catch and release and send troops to the southern border to repel what he called the “disastrous invasion of our country. “By invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense 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 inner cities.”
But despite President Trump’s vow to remove dangerous illegal immigrants and send them back to their countries, Chicago officials took a vow of their own to not comply.
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Anti-Trump activists protest in Chicago’s Loop on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Chicago police said the municipal code includes legislation that prevents them from assisting federal immigration authorities with enforcement based on immigration status. The department also noted 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 with a civil immigration enforcement operation.
If the request is to assist in the enforcement of civil immigration law, the supervisor will decline the request, but if it is unrelated to civil immigration law, the supervisor will have appropriate police action taken.
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Chicago Police Department vehicle on city street. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“To be clear, the Chicago Police Department will not assist or intervene in civil immigration enforcement in accordance with the City of Chicago Municipal Code,” the police department’s statement read. “As always, we will continue to enforce the law if a crime occurs, regardless of the citizenship status of those involved.”
The police department issued the statement a day after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson doubled down on his vow to oppose Trump’s sweeping reform aimed at removing dangerous illegal immigrants accused of crimes from the U.S. when he returns to office.
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.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed to not assist federal agencies with immigration enforcement. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
“Chicago stands strong: regardless of the circumstances, our commitment to protecting and supporting this city remains unwavering,” Johnson wrote in a social media post. “We will continue to fight for the justice and safety of all who call this place home.”
Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants are residing in Chicago, despite residents pleading with city officials about how there are not enough resources to provide for them. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022, according to previous reports from Fox 32 Chicago, and thousands are in shelters.
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Sheltering migrants has drawn ire from residents after it has reportedly cost the city $574.5 million since August 2022. At a previous city council meeting on December 3rd, residents objected to an approximately $60 million property tax increase that was proposed to help officials overcome a $1 billion budget shortfall by the end of last year.
Fox News Digital’s Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
