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By Hollie Silverman
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, signed an executive order on Saturday directing the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to investigate and document alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents.
The order—branded “ICE On Notice”— also orders CPD officers to refer evidence of potential felony violations to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
"Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity’ in America,” Johnson said in a press release. “The lawlessness of Trump’s militarized immigration agents puts the lives and well-being of every Chicagoan in immediate danger. With today’s order, we are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents.”
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Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), refuted Johnson's narrative of federal officers committing crimes, telling Newsweek in an emailed statement Saturday, “These claims of criminal misconduct by ICE law enforcement are FALSE. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is held to the highest professional standard and officers regularly receive ongoing training."
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump returned to office last January after campaigning on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration. His administration has ramped up immigration enforcement in pursuit of his mass deportation agenda, with raids and deportations disrupting communities across the country.
Johnson's executive order comes after months of federal immigration operations in the Chicago area, labeled “Operation Midway Blitz.”
The mayor's order sets up procedures for the CPD to capture, preserve, and report evidence when local or state laws appear to be violated by federal immigration agents—steps the mayor’s office said makes Chicago the first U.S. city to establish such infrastructure.
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What Was 'Operation Midway Blitz'
Operation Midway Blitz was a major immigration enforcement campaign launched by DHS and ICE in the Chicago metropolitan area beginning September 8, 2025, as part of a federal push to target sanctuary cities with elevated enforcement.
DHS told Reuters that ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had arrested more than 4,200 people in the Chicago area under this campaign as of November 19. The operation resulted in thousands of arrests across Illinois and surrounding states such as Indiana, with ICE and allied federal agencies detaining immigrants in residential neighborhoods, near schools, and at workplaces.
Critics and civil rights groups filed lawsuits alleging widespread warrantless arrests, excessive force, and violations of constitutional protections, including entering homes with flashbangs, restraining residents, including children, and detaining U.S. citizens, which a federal judge found violated a standing consent decree governing arrests in the Chicago area.
Allegations of militarized tactics, including early‑morning raids, the use of chemical agents against protesters, and aggressive crowd control, drew deep community outrage, legal intervention, and injunctions restricting the use of force.
ICE and U.S. Border Patrol have faced numerous allegations of excessive force, racial profiling, and other misconduct. Advocacy groups and legal complaints argue these practices erode civil rights, fuel fear in immigrant communities, and sometimes involve violent enforcement actions without adequate accountability.
The operation’s leadership, including senior Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, became a focal point of legal scrutiny and public criticism as lawsuits advanced and judges ordered closer oversight of enforcement practices. Despite DHS framing the effort as targeting violent criminals, court filings and public data showed many detainees had no significant criminal history, prompting intense debate over the legality and impact of the blitz.
What To Know
The order—Executive Order 2026-01—directs CPD officers who observe or receive reports of apparent violations of state or local law by federal immigration agents to document the incident and preserve body-camera footage. Officers need to also identify and verify the supervising federal officer on scene, complete a report, and render medical aid when needed.
CPD supervisors are instructed by the mayor’s office to refer felony matters to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the department will share aggregated data on documented legal violations by federal immigration officers with the public, the release said.
The mayor’s office tied the order to what it described as federal operations that destabilized communities and provoked dangerous confrontations, citing the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago and the killings of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, Illinois, as well as Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The order followed city hearings on Operation Midway Blitz and local debate over federal enforcement tactics as the mayor’s office said it anticipated another immigration surge in the region this spring, CBS Chicago reported.
CPD, in consultation with the city’s Corporation Counsel and the Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights, will issue guidance and establish procedures to implement the order within 30 days of the signing, the mayor’s office said.
According to the press release from the mayor's office, a federal judge in Minnesota has identified 96 court orders that ICE agents violated since January 1, 2026.
What People Are Saying
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney, said in the press release: “I applaud Mayor Brandon Johnson’s bold and principled leadership in building the infrastructure to hold ICE and CBP agents accountable for criminal misconduct. He has stepped forward at a critical moment to defend his residents, protect local authority, and insist that federal power be exercised within the bounds of the law.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement emailed to Newsweek Saturday: “These claims of criminal misconduct by ICE law enforcement are FALSE. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is held to the highest professional standard and officers regularly receive ongoing training. As our brave law enforcement arrests and removes dangerous criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, and gang members from our communities, America can be proud of the professionalism our officers bring the job day-in and day-out.
“Instead of working with us, Illinois sanctuary politicians RELEASE violent criminals from their jails directly back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.
“Illinois' failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 1,768 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include 5 homicides, 141 assaults, 23 burglaries, 4 robberies, 24 dangerous drugs offenses, 15 weapons offenses, and 10 sexual predatory offenses.
“There are currently 4,015 aliens in the custody of an Illinois jurisdiction with an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 51 homicides, 1,134 assaults, 107 burglaries, 36 robberies, 275 dangerous drugs offenses, 120 weapons offenses, and 813 sexual predatory offenses."
Update 1/31/26 3:34 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with more information.
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