By: Ashmar Mandou
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday reaffirmed his stance that the city “will not ever cooperate with ICE.” During a press conference held at City Hall, Johnson stated “You know, again, it’s unconscionable at a time in which so many working people and poor people need government to show up for them, that this administration, the Trump administration, has caused so much consternation and division.”
Last month, he urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to “speak up” regarding ICE’s immigration enforcement that the mayor characterized as “terrorism.” Johnson has also said that Chicagoans should “rise up” against ICE. The City of Chicago has allowed in over 51,000 illegal immigrants from the southern border since August 31, 2022. Last week, Trump “border czar” Tom Homan discussed attacks on ICE agents during an appearance on “The Will Cain Show” where he also criticized a new app called ICEBlock that is reportedly being used to track ICE agents. “Assault against ICE is up over 500 percent,” Homan said. “Now you’ve got an app that’s going to tell where ICE operations are going to. It’s only a matter of time before ICE agents are ambushed by some nut, like what happened in L.A., throwing them out a cocktail, throwing bricks at these officers. This is just disgusting at every level.”
The app, ICEBlock, allows users to report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. It has quickly become one of the most downloaded social networking apps on the Apple App Store. But while some hail it as a vital tool for protecting vulnerable communities, others—including officials in the Trump administration—are calling it dangerous. The app works by giving the user permission, it tracks location and sends push notifications when ICE officers are reported within a five-mile radius. No tip is required to receive alerts. It’s anonymous by design.
Johnson said Chicago will collaborate with other migrant sanctuary cities. “To the extent in which we’re going to have to rely upon one another, other cities and states coming together, to find the best way in which we can interact with a federal government that is quite hostile towards states and cities,” Johnson said. Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois are defendants in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice over policies prohibiting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials.
“The Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration enforcement tactics do nothing but instill fear and distrust in immigrant communities,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand with my fellow attorneys general to fight against the kind of illegal and immoral actions we have seen and in support of the rights of all immigrants,” said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Border Czar Tom Homan told reporters they plan to increase immigration enforcement efforts. “And for those that say 3,000 a day is too much, I want to remind them, do the math, we’d have to arrest 7,000 every single day for the remainder of this administration just to catch the ones [former President Joe] Biden released in the nation, ” Homan said. For those with questions or concerns, residents are encouraged to contact the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights’ hotline, at 855-435-7693.
