Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged Wednesday that he has been coordinating with other leaders of so-called “sanctuary cities” to resist federal immigration enforcement, confirming regular communication with fellow Democratic mayors as clashes between ICE and anti-enforcement activists intensify nationwide.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, Johnson said he has been in ongoing contact with mayors including Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Michelle Wu of Boston to develop strategies to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. His remarks came after President Donald Trump called for an end to sanctuary cities in a Truth Social post Monday, following a series of shootings in Minneapolis tied to Department of Homeland Security personnel engaged in immigration enforcement.
“To respond to the operation in Chicago, I leaned heavily on other cities’ responses,” Johnson said, citing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as well as officials in Minneapolis, Portland, Oakland, Boston, Denver, and Baltimore. He said the coordination has taken place “at the executive level and the staff level” in order to “develop strategies to protect our constituents.”
The comments come against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of rapid-response networks obstructing ICE operations. According to Fox News Digital, these groups track ICE vehicles, share the locations of federal officers, and mobilize crowds to confront agents attempting to arrest illegal immigrants with criminal records. Such confrontations have at times escalated into physical violence.
Other sanctuary city leaders referenced by Johnson have similarly defied federal immigration enforcement. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has refused to cooperate with ICE, prompting a lawsuit from the Department of Justice. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly stated that city police would not assist with federal immigration operations and reiterated that stance after meeting with border czar Tom Homan. In Portland, anti-ICE rioters have attacked journalists covering protests and reportedly planned to use lasers against aircraft used by federal law enforcement.
During his remarks, Johnson went further, suggesting Chicago could pursue criminal charges against ICE agents while highlighting steps he has already taken to limit their ability to operate within the city.
“In August, we signed our most sweeping executive order,” Johnson said. “This executive order established what we call ICE-Free Zones, essentially prohibiting ICE and Border Patrol from staging on city properties and entering city properties without a judicial warrant.”
Johnson said Chicago worked with its law department, police, and outside advisers to create signage and enforcement mechanisms for the policy, which he described as unprecedented. He added that the city is developing additional measures intended to “hold ICE and Border Patrol officers accountable for criminal misconduct.”
Chicago has seen repeated violent incidents tied to anti-ICE activity. ICE agents in the city have been shot at, subjected to vehicle-ramming attacks, and targeted during protests at ICE facilities. Videos posted online have shown rioters calling for federal agents to be arrested or shot.
The escalating confrontation between sanctuary city officials and federal immigration authorities underscores a broader national clash over enforcement, public safety, and the limits of local resistance to federal law under President Trump’s renewed push to dismantle sanctuary policies.
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By their own admission, these Government Officials are CONSPIRING against the Authority of the Federal Government. It is illegal to thwart the Constitutional duties of Federal Law Enforcement and it is very much worse if you are colluding with other elected Officials to stop them Nation wide.
These obstructors of the rule of law must be charged under RICO or Sedition statutes and arrested, or we will have 20 minneapolises.
Hand it to America’s new Criminal Party formerly called Democrats.Are the voters for these criminals insane?
Whoever obstructs justice gets arrested….what’s the hold-up ?! Put Homan on steroids, just GET THE JOB DONE !!!