Chicago Mayor Defies Trump, Orders Police Not To Aid Crackdown: ‘Our People Have Not Asked For This’
Chicago’s mayor has signed an executive order to keep the city’s police from cooperating with federal agents who might be sent in to crack down on crime and immigration.
The Windy City is the latest Democratic-run municipality to be targeted by President Donald Trump following Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., in the administration’s crackdown on immigration and crime.
Mayor Brandon Johnson made clear on Saturday that Chicago police will not assist the Trump administration’s efforts.
“We have not called for this. Our people have not asked for this, but nevertheless, we find ourselves having to respond to this, and we find ourselves in a position where we must take immediate, drastic action to protect our people from federal overreach,” Johnson said. “Protecting Chicago will ensure that every Chicagoan knows their rights, that every single family is prepared, and every part of city government is directed to protect the people of Chicago from federal action.”
According to the mayor’s order, Chicago police will not “collaborate with federal agents on joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or other law enforcement duties including civil immigration enforcement.”
The mayor’s order states that “no CPD personnel shall be assigned joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or other law enforcement duties alongside federal law enforcement, or military personnel, or National Guard units engaging in civil immigration enforcement.” It also states that “CPD may cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies consistent with applicable law and existing intergovernmental agreements.”
The order “follows a memo from the Department of Homeland Security requesting use of the Naval Station Great Lakes north of Chicago as a home base for immigration operations in Chicago. Local officials said nearby suburbs could be affected, too. Separately, Trump has vowed to send the National Guard to Chicago to address crime,” Politico reported.
After the signing, Johnson told reporters, “This is about making a clear distinction about what our law enforcement engages in vs. what the federal government engages in. This president is not going to come in and deputize our police department.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has called Trump’s crackdown “a manufactured crisis,” and told CBS News that voters “should understand that [Trump] has other aims, other than fighting crime,” including putting a stop to the 2026 elections.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
