Mayor Issues ICE Guidelines; City Council to Take Up Key Vote Next Week
Chicago Mayor Reaffirms Welcoming City Ordinance
Ten days before President-Elect Donald Trump takes office, Mayor Brandon Johnson is reaffirming Chicago’s Welcoming City ordinance.
Guidelines for Handling ICE Visits
On Friday evening, Johnson issued guidelines to local agencies on how to handle visits from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This comes as Tom Homan, the incoming border czar, has promised mass deportation in cities like Chicago, and as the City Council is expected to take up a key vote on the issue in the coming days.
If ICE agents visit a city property, Mayor Johnson is now urging the city’s sister-agencies to follow newly-issued protocol. The guidelines include but are not limited to:
- "Contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance; do not consent to ICE entering any private or ‘sensitive’ City location"
- "The highest ranking official or designated supervisor should demand that ICE produce a judicial warrant authorizing ICE to search the premises"
Alderman Ray Lopez Weighs In
"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," said Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward). "The narrative out there by the mayor and his allies is that we’re trying to remove everyone—that’s simply not the case."
City Council Vote Looms
The guidelines—sent by the mayor’s office at 5:15 p.m. Friday—come as city councilmembers are faced with a highly-anticipated vote next week. Ald. Lopez and Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward) have proposed legislation that would amend Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, allowing city agencies to work with ICE to identify undocumented individuals who have been arrested for, or convicted of certain crimes.
What’s at Stake
The proposed change is expected to be brought to a vote during the City Council Meeting on Wednesday, January 15. One of four categories of crimes: Gang-related activity, drug-related activity, prostitution, and human trafficking, or sex crimes involving minors.
Conclusion
The city is at a crossroads, with conflicting views on how to approach the issue of immigration and public safety. The mayor’s guidelines aim to protect the city’s residents, while the proposed amendment seeks to balance public safety with the needs of immigrants. The vote on January 15 will be a crucial moment for the city, as it navigates the complex issues of immigration, crime, and public safety.
FAQs
- What are the guidelines for handling ICE visits?
The guidelines include contacting agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance, and not consenting to ICE entering private or sensitive city locations. - What is the proposed amendment to the Welcoming City Ordinance?
The proposed amendment would allow city agencies to work with ICE to identify undocumented individuals who have been arrested for or convicted of certain crimes. - When is the City Council vote scheduled?
The vote is scheduled for January 15.
