Mayor Johnson Opposes ICE Operations in Chicago Amid Federal Lawsuit
Mayor Brandon Johnson criticizes ICE operations in Chicago following a DOJ lawsuit alleging interference with federal immigration enforcement, while funding to sanctuary cities may be restricted.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has voiced strong criticism against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Chicago, asserting, "we are going to protect the residents of this city."
This statement comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice on Thursday against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. The lawsuit alleges that local and state officials are interfering with federal immigration enforcement, which marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and Democrat-led jurisdictions regarding immigration policies.
The lawsuit targets Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and various other officials, claiming that specific state and local regulations are "designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution."
This legal action follows closely on the heels of a directive signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, aimed at restricting funding to sanctuary cities. These sanctuary jurisdictions typically limit or prohibit collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE regarding the transfer of individuals in custody who are undocumented immigrants.
