The mayor of Chicago has signed an order detailing how the city will resist a potential immigration crackdown threatened by the Trump administration.
We do not need nor want an unconstitutional and illegal military occupation of our city, said Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat. The order directs city agencies on how to respond to possible immigration enforcement actions.
Trump has already deployed about 2,000 troops to Washington DC, and has threatened to extend the order to Chicago, which he describes as a mess. Besides, there are reports that the administration is planning a surge of federal immigration agents into the city.
A White House spokesperson called Johnson's order a publicity stunt. The order is the latest chapter in an escalating feud between the White House and Illinois state and local officials over violent crime and immigration.
It demands that Trump and federal agents stand down from any attempts to deploy the US Armed Forces in the city.
The order restates several existing city policies, including requiring law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and identification, and banning the use of masks. Local officials have criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for concealing their identities in other cities.
Johnson stated that city officials would assist residents in understanding their rights when encountering immigration enforcement, while excluding local officers from participating in joint patrols with federal agents.
With more than one in five residents being immigrants and many originating from Latin American countries, the city's stance is significant. It remains uncertain how many residents lack official documentation.
Trump, a Republican, has characterized Chicago as a killing field, arguing that crime in the city presents an emergency. He has faced backlash from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has deemed the proposed deployment of the National Guard an abuse of power.
The White House's Abigail Jackson criticized Chicago officials for making crime a partisan issue, suggesting that resolving local crime should take precedence over political critiques of the President's actions.
