Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on Saturday, August 30, 2025, called the “Protecting Chicago Initiative,” in response to anticipated federal immigration raids and the possible deployment of the National Guard by the Trump administration.
Ironically, he believes he is protecting Chicago by sheltering illegal aliens, including those with criminal histories, and by refusing to support law enforcement efforts. How this makes the city safer remains unclear.
The order prohibits the Chicago Police Department from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement, including patrols, traffic stops, and checkpoints, and bars collaboration with military personnel on local police duties. It also requires federal officers to follow municipal policies, such as banning the use of masks to conceal identities.
The directive further instructs city departments to “pursue all available legal and legislative avenues to resist coordinated efforts from the federal government” that may infringe on the rights of Chicago residents.
This raises the question of whether illegal immigrants should be considered residents, what rights they possess, and whether they are entitled to protection from federal law enforcement. No comparable program exists to shield American citizens who commit crimes from federal officers.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson accused Mayor Brandon Johnson of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome,” after Johnson called the administration “out-of-control” and accused the president of acting “outside the bounds of the Constitution.”
The mayor makes these claims, but immigration enforcement is not “outside the bounds of the Constitution,” and an administration enforcing existing laws is not “out of control.” What is out of control are Chicago’s illegal immigration and violent crime problems, precisely why stronger enforcement is needed.
Chicago has maintained sanctuary city policies for nearly 40 years, beginning with Mayor Harold Washington’s 1985 executive order. The current framework is the “Welcoming City Ordinance,” enacted in 2006, expanded in 2012, and tightened in 2021 to eliminate all cooperation with ICE. At the state level, Illinois passed the Trust Act in 2017, extending sanctuary protections statewide and prohibiting local officials from inquiring about immigration status or assisting in federal enforcement.
Illinois is home to about 500,000 illegal immigrants, including 30,000 DACA recipients and tens of thousands of recent arrivals. Since August 2022, roughly 51,000 migrants from the southern border have settled in Chicago, adding major costs for taxpayers.
Hellbound and Down 