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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Chicago and clashes between federal agents and protesters, tensions are also flaring between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement.
ICE has accused Chicago police commanders of putting federal agents at risk after it was reported that officers had been instructed not to answer a call for backup from federal agents who said they were surrounded by protesters on Saturday. However, the Chicago Police Department said its officers had responded to the scene.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek that it was "unspeakable" that "30 Border Patrol agents called the Chicago Police Department for assistance after a mob formed around the crime scene, and the Chicago Police Department’s Chief of Patrol instructed his officers to STAND DOWN."
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Adding to the tensions, ICE agents have inadvertently tear gassed local police officers while the police chief of Broadview, a suburb of Chicago, has accused ICE of making false 911 calls and draining the resources of his department.
Newsweek has contacted ICE and the Chicago Police Department for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
A widening rift between federal and local law enforcement in Chicago underscores the fractured nature of immigration enforcement in the U.S. Chicago is one of several sanctuary cities in the U.S. that limit or deny cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement through Operation Midway Blitz, which began in early September. Recent protests and clashes with law enforcement at an ICE facility in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago, have led to dozens of arrests.
What to Know
According to Fox News, an internal dispatch revealed that Chicago police officers were ordered by their chief of patrol not to respond to a call for help from Border Patrol agents on Saturday morning.
ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said not answering a federal law enforcement’s call for backup was a "dereliction of duty."
The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the nation’s largest police union, and the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police issued a statement condemning the reports.
"Now more than ever, police officers need to band together in order to protect our brothers and sisters who wear the badge," Patrick Yoes, FOP national president, said in a statement.
"We at the National FOP, as well as our members at the Illinois FOP, condemn these actions and urge Chicago officials to ensure that any law enforcement officer needing assistance is guaranteed that their brothers and sisters in law enforcement respond expeditiously."
However, the Chicago Police Department disputed the claim and said its officers did respond to the scene.
"CPD officers did in fact respond to the shooting scene involving federal authorities on Saturday to maintain public safety and traffic control," the department said in a statement to Fox News.
Federal agents reportedly called Chicago police for backup after being confronted by protesters on Saturday.
Around 100 demonstrators were met with pepper balls and tear gas after federal agents shot a woman in Brighton Park on the city's southwest side that morning after she allegedly rammed her vehicle into U.S. Border Patrol agents, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that federal agents had "fired defensive shots" at "an armed U.S. citizen" after being "rammed" by 10 cars and "boxed in."
Also on Saturday, videos on social media showed local officers rubbing their eyes, squinting and struggling with the effects of tear gas.
Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said his officers had been exposed to tear gas numerous times during previous incidents involving ICE agents. He said that the repeated exposure created a "dangerous situation" for the community and first responders.
Mills also told CBS News Chicago last week that his department had received several false 911 calls, calling it "disturbing."
According to the station, an ICE agent had claimed someone was tampering with the gate at the ICE detention facility in Broadview, but a responding officer turned up to find a CBS News Chicago photographer filming the exterior of the building accompanied by a CBS security guard.
What People Are Saying
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek: "It is unspeakable that a violent protester and known doxer escalated her violent behavior by dangerously ramming her vehicle into U.S. Border Patrol agents yesterday in Chicago. What is perhaps more unspeakable is that 30 Border Patrol agents called the Chicago Police Department for assistance after a mob formed around the crime scene, and the Chicago Police Department’s Chief of Patrol instructed his officers to STAND DOWN.
"How does this serve the people of Chicago, whose partisan police force refuses to protect the public? This is precisely why President Trump and Secretary Noem have called for federal law enforcement and the National Guard to do the job that Chicago’s local leadership utterly refuses to do. The biggest losers are the very citizens electing these clowns. Shame on CPD’s leadership, Mayor Johnson, and Governor Pritzker. It is time for the people to demand their officials do better and to hold them accountable. Until then, federal law enforcement will be there to do their jobs for them.”
**ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan wrote on X: "**Not answering a federal law enforcement agency’s call for backup, in your own city or township, is not only wrong—it’s a dereliction of duty."
The Chicago Police Department said in a statement to Fox on Sunday: "To clarify misinformation currently circulating, CPD officers did in fact respond to the shooting scene involving federal authorities on Saturday to maintain public safety and traffic control."
The statement added: "The Chicago Police Department will always respond to anyone who is being attacked or is under the threat of physical harm. For incidents involving federal immigration enforcement, CPD supervisors will respond to the scene and determine the appropriate course of action in accordance with City law."
What’s Next
With tensions high and protests against ICE ongoing, more flashpoints appear likely.
Update 10/7/25, 3:24 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add comment from a DHS spokesperson.
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