The Chicago city council on Wednesday blocked a proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain migrants with a criminal record.
Chicago’s “welcoming city” ordinance, in compliance with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
Ald Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares wanted to change the ordinance to enable police to cooperate with ICE to target migrants who had been arrested for gang or drug-related activities or sexual crimes involving minors. Their measure received backlash from activist groups when they first introduced the measure in 2023.
The two officials saw their proposed amendment get struck down by a 39-11 vote.
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Before Chicago officials voted down the proposed amendment, Jordan Kelly, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and resident of 30th ward, spoke out against Lopez and Tabares’ proposed amendment.
“Self-hating cowards such as Ray Lopez and Tabares want to turn our city into a hell for migrants who are not only Latin, by the way. CAIR Chicago has 40-50 open asylum cases currently. What do we tell these people and families if we don’t remain a sanctuary? Plus, our economy cannot handle mass deportations,” Kelly said.
Immigration has been heated issue in the Windy City as officials have had to grapple with a surge of migrants over the past several years. Many Chicago residents are frustrated with city officials, particularly Mayor Brandon Johnson and his handling of the situation.
One resident who spoke at the city council meeting on Wednesday slammed Johnson
“Who are you loyal to? The American citizens in Chicago or the illegal immigrants in Chicago?,” the man said. “The sanctuary law that Brandon Johnson allowed has brought criminals, drug dealers, and now terrorists.”
The vote to block the measure came after Johnson last week issued new guidelines ahead of President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House.
Johnson’s guidelines advise that if ICE should enter city property to “contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. Contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor onsite and do not take any action until that person arrives.”
The guidance advises officials to demand copies of warrants, not to consent to ICE entering “any private or ‘sensitive’ locations,” but not to interfere with any search, even if refused. There are other recommendations, like taking notes and keeping contemporaneous written records.
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In response to the mayor’s guidelines, Lopez said Johnson is making an “extraordinary effort” to stop his proposal of removing migrants with a criminal record.
“I am surprised, actually, that the mayor is going through this extraordinary effort to try and stop what Ald. Tabares and I want to do, which is to remove the small number of individuals who choose to commit crimes in the City of Chicago,” Lopez told FOX 32 Chicago. “The narrative out there by the mayor and his allies is that we’re trying to remove everyone—that’s simply not the case.”
Trump’s border czar pick, Tom Homan, pledged to go after Chicago with strict enforcement, vowing to verify the status of asylum seekers and arrest anyone providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
The incoming border czar also warned that Johnson would be prosecuted should he obstruct ICE’s mass deportation efforts.
Lopez nor Tabares did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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