Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, announced on Monday that he signed an executive order to establish “ICE free zones” throughout the city. The executive order comes as Democrat leaders in Chicago and Illinois have repeatedly tried to prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from conducting immigration enforcement operations throughout the sanctuary city.
During a Monday press conference, Johnson claimed that his executive order was “aimed at reigning in this out-of-control administration.”
“The order establishes ICE-free zones,” Johnson stated. “That means that city property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids.”
In response to the Democrat mayor’s executive order, the White House released a statement on Monday, saying, “Today, in a disgusting betrayal of every law-abiding citizen, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declared city spaces as ‘ICE-free zones.’ Johnson’s pathetic excuse that enforcing our nation’s immigration laws somehow ‘undermines community trust’ exposes his true loyalty: to criminal illegal alien predators, not the terrified families of Chicago.”
“Shielding the most depraved, violent criminal illegal aliens from justice is not only an insult to every Chicagoan, it’s also a dangerous intensification of Democrats’ lunatic ‘sanctuary’ agenda where criminal illegals come before American citizens,” the White House added.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which was launched on September 8, has already led to the arrest of over 1,000 illegal immigrants in Illinois. The Trump administration’s ICE operations in Illinois, especially in Chicago, have been met with violent anti-ICE protests and resistance from local Democrat leaders.
READ MORE: Trump admin launches ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ in Chicago
Johnson claimed on Monday that his executive order establishing ICE free zones reflects the sanctuary city’s commitment to protect the “constitutional rights” of city residents and “immigrant communities” and to uphold democracy.
“If the federal government violates this executive order, we will take them to court,” Johnson said.
According to Fox News, Johnson’s executive order instructs Chicago’s departments and agencies to identify places that have been targeted by ICE raids and post a message that shows city property cannot be used for staging immigration enforcement operations, processing illegal immigrations, or conducting ICE operations.
Fox News reported that Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) authorized the Trump administration to deploy 400 National Guard troops to Illinois and Oregon after Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) refused to deploy Illinois National Guard troops to provide assistance to ICE officials in light of multiple violent incidents caused by anti-ICE protesters in recent weeks.
“If Chicago Democrats spent as much time targeting criminals as they did demonizing and criticizing federal law enforcement, Chicagoans would be a lot safer,” Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said. “The only people who will be ‘safe’ in an ICE Free Zone are violent criminal illegal aliens who prey on innocent American citizens.”
