Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday signed an executive order designating city-owned properties as “ICE-Free Zones,” banning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using these areas for operations. The move came amid a surge of anti-ICE violence in the city, with federal agents facing attacks from domestic terrorists.
Johnson announced the directive during a press conference, claiming it would curb “this out-of-control administration.” He stated that city property and private businesses would no longer be used as “staging grounds for raids,” following a series of ICE operations under Operation Midway Blitz in early September. As of October 3, ICE had arrested over 1,000 individuals with criminal records across Illinois, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The order follows Johnson’s August 30 executive directive barring Chicago Police from collaborating with federal immigration authorities during crackdowns. It also coincides with an Illinois lawsuit challenging National Guard deployments to the city, which officials claim is “unlawful and dangerous.” Johnson accused the Trump administration of attempting to “destabilize the city and provoke chaos,” while falsely asserting that Chicago had made “historic progress in reducing violence.”
Recent weeks have seen a spike in attacks on federal law enforcement. Left-wing agitators ambushed Border Patrol agents with vehicles, including a ten-car caravan blocking officers. One suspect, Marimar Martinez, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and later hospitalized after defensive fire from CBP agents. Another driver, Anthony Ian, was arrested. The scene turned violent as demonstrators threw smoke, gas, rocks, and bottles at DHS personnel.
Federal law enforcement faced additional assaults on Thursday in Bensenville and Norridge, Illinois, where criminal illegal aliens used vehicles to ram officers. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the attacks, stating, “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Chicago Police were ordered not to assist federal agents during a September 7 confrontation, with Superintendent Larry Snelling confirming the accounts. Attorney John Garrido called the stand-down order “egregious,” while Governor JB Pritzker dismissed DHS reports as “propaganda.”
Johnson vowed total resistance against the Trump administration, declaring, “It’s going to take everything—litigation, executive orders, legislation, and the people of this city… pushing back against tyranny.” Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to deploy resources to restore order amid escalating threats.
