Chicago Bars ICE From City and Unwilling Private Property

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order creating “ICE‑free zones” that bar federal immigration agents from using city‑owned or city‑controlled property and from staging operations on private property owned by “unwilling” businesses. The order directs city departments to implement the ban within days, report violations and says the measure is intended to protect community trust and the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance. The move drew sharp condemnation from the White House, and the president has signaled he may invoke broader authorities if courts block federal troop deployments; Illinois and the City of Chicago have sued to block an effort to deploy National Guard troops to protect ICE during Operation Midway Blitz. The action was prompted in part by reports that ICE used Chicago Public Schools parking lots and by an independent video of an ICE stop on the Southwest Side showing plainclothes agents struggling to detain a man who was later released. Critics, including aldermen, former first responders and police unions, have accused the mayor of politicizing police amid allegations that local officers were told not to assist surrounded federal agents.