In a bold move reflecting the growing tensions between local and federal authorities, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an order detailing how the city will resist any potential immigration crackdown threatened by the Trump administration.
We do not need nor want an unconstitutional and illegal military occupation of our city, stated Mayor Johnson, who aims to direct city agencies on appropriate responses to possible immigration enforcement actions.
Recent statements from Trump indicate that approximately 2,000 troops have already been deployed to Washington D.C., with the former president threatening to extend the order to Chicago, labeling it as a mess. This comes amidst reports suggesting a surge of federal immigration agents could be sent into the city.
In what some are calling a publicity stunt, a White House spokesperson dismissed Johnson's order. However, local officials are taking the matter seriously, as the city grapples with a significant immigrant population, over one in five residents being immigrants—more than half from Latin American countries.
The order formally demands that Trump and his federal agents refrain from deploying U.S. Armed Forces in Chicago, reaffirming existing city policies that emphasize transparency in law enforcement practices.
As the stakes rise, Johnson's administration aims to educate residents about their rights in relation to immigration enforcement, explicitly prohibiting local officers from participating in joint operations with federal agents.
Ultimately, this executive order is not merely a bureaucratic formality; it represents the heart of a political struggle over crime, immigration, and community rights in one of America's largest cities.
