The Chicago Police Department announced on Monday that they will not participate in upcoming deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Chicago, amid President Trump’s plans to implement extensive border security measures nationwide.
President Trump outlined his agenda to address illegal immigration issues and strengthen the border upon his return to the White House on Monday.
“I will first declare a national emergency at the southern border. All illegal entries will be immediately stopped, and we will begin the process of repatriating millions of criminal aliens back to their home countries,” Trump stated, also mentioning ending catch and release policies and deploying troops to the southern border to push back against what he described as a “disastrous invasion of our nation. “By invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will instruct our government to utilize the full power of federal and state law enforcement to eradicate all foreign gangs and criminal networks, which bring devastating crimes to U.S. soil, including our cities and urban areas.”
Regardless of President Trump’s pledge to expel dangerous undocumented immigrants and send them back to their countries, Chicago officials have vowed not to 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)
The Chicago police department stated that city ordinances prohibit them from aiding federal immigration authorities in enforcement based on immigration status. They also do not track immigration status or share it with federal agencies.
A supervisor must respond if an immigration agency requests assistance with a civil immigration enforcement operation, and in the case of civil immigration law enforcement, the request will be declined.
If the request is unrelated to civil immigration law, appropriate police action will be 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 engage in civil immigration enforcement as outlined in the City of Chicago Municipal Code,” the police department’s statement read. “We will continue to uphold the law in the event of a crime, irrespective of the citizenship status of those involved.”
The police department released the statement a day after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reiterated his opposition to Trump’s sweeping reforms aimed at expelling dangerous undocumented immigrants accused of crimes from the U.S. upon his return to office.
The mayor’s office affirmed that the city will continue to adhere to 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 not to assist federal agencies with immigration enforcement. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
“Chicago remains steadfast: no matter what comes our way, our dedication to safeguarding and supporting this city remains firm,” Johnson wrote in a social media post. “We will persist in advocating for the justice and security of all who call this place home.”
Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants reside in Chicago, despite residents expressing concerns about inadequate resources to support them. According to previous reports from Fox 32 Chicago, over 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022, with thousands in shelters.
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Hosting migrants has faced backlash from residents after reportedly costing the city $574.5 million since August 2022. During a prior city council meeting on December 3rd, residents objected to an approximately $60 million property tax raise proposed to aid officials in tackling a $1 billion budget shortfall by the end of the previous year.
Fox News Digital’s Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
