Chicago’s city council blocked an amendment proposal on Wednesday that would have allowed local law enforcement officials to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to detain illegal immigrants with criminal records.
According to Fox News, Alds. Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares had proposed a change to the “welcoming city” ordinance that prevents local law enforcement officials from working with federal agents to enforce immigration laws under the 2017 Illinois Trust Act and Chicago’s sanctuary city policies. The amendment, which was voted down by a 39-11 vote, would have allowed local officers to cooperate with ICE officials in targeting illegal immigrants arrested for sexual crimes involving minors, gang activities, or drug-related activities.
Prior to Wednesday’s vote, Jordan Kelly, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticized the amendment proposal, saying, “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.”
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Fox News reported that Chicago’s vote against the amendment proposal came just a week after Johnson unveiled new guidelines to block local law enforcement officials from cooperating with ICE officials under President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
The mayor’s guidelines advise city agencies that if ICE officials attempt to enter a city property, officials should “contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. Contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor on site and do not take any action until that person arrives.”
The guidelines also urge officials to “not consent to ICE entering any private or ‘sensitive’ City location.” However, officials have been warned not to “attempt to interfere with the search.” Local agencies have also been instructed to demand copies of ICE warrants and take notes regarding any ICE actions.
According to Fox News, one Chicago resident criticized Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson for his administration’s immigration policies during Wednesday’s meeting, saying, “Who are you loyal to? The American citizens in Chicago or the illegal immigrants in Chicago? The sanctuary law that Brandon Johnson allowed has brought criminals, drug dealers, and now terrorists.”
Following the release of the city’s new guidelines, Lopez told Fox 32 Chicago, “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.”
