Chicago Leaders Defy Federal Immigration Efforts Amid Deportation Crackdown
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has stated that individuals questioning the potential outcome had the Confederacy won the Civil War can observe the current state of the city.
Local political leaders are actively supporting efforts from residents to oppose the federal government's plan for mass deportations, pledging to "hold the line and push back every single time."
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has encountered resistance from local organizations aiding undocumented immigrants during a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Various non-profits in the Windy City have created Facebook groups, mobile applications, and distributed flyers throughout the city detailing methods to evade ICE detention. These acts of defiance have received encouragement from left-wing political leaders, particularly as it is estimated that ICE has detained approximately 100 migrants to date.
Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García expressed at an event at Malcolm X College, "The actions coming from the White House are rooted in xenophobic, nativist and racist lies. We must hold the line and push back every single time -- as we've done before. People are exercising their rights."
Meanwhile, Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan criticized Chicago and similar sanctuary cities for hindering the administration's efforts to deport illegal migrants with criminal records. Homan asserted in a CNN interview, "Sanctuary cities are making it very difficult to arrest criminals. For instance, Chicago is well-educated on how to defy ICE, how to hide from ICE. They provide pamphlets on 'Know Your Rights' -- I call it how to escape arrest."
On the other hand, Illinois State Rep. Delia Ramirez commended those opposing Trump’s mass deportation initiative as "courageous," stating, "We have shown them that we are courageous. We have shown them that we are organized. And we have shown them that they will not break us."
According to Pew Research, Illinois is home to 300,000 of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States as of 2022. ICE has reported making an average of 710 immigration arrests daily from January 23 through January 27.
In a recent event, two illegal migrants were charged with the murder of a 63-year-old man, whose tied-up body was discovered in his Chicago residence on the same day that Homan supervised an immigration enforcement operation.
