President Donald Trump has called for the imprisonment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, blasting them for failing to protect federal immigration officers amid mounting violence against the administration’s immigration enforcement campaign in the city.
“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social, sharply escalating the standoff between federal and local authorities.
The remarks come as “Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal law enforcement initiative targeting violent crime and illegal immigration in Chicago, has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests since launching last month. The operation has faced fierce opposition from local leaders and activists — some of whom have taken to the streets to block enforcement activity.
ICE Agents Attacked, CPD Accused of Withholding Support
The boiling point came over the weekend involved federal ICE agents who were reportedly surrounded and rammed by vehicles in a coordinated attack during an operation in the city. According to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, one of the individuals who rammed the agents’ vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and had previously threatened federal agents online.
The suspect, 40-year-old Marimar Martinez, was reportedly on Border Patrol’s radar and was later taken into FBI custody after receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Despite the incident, which federal officials described as an armed assault on law enforcement, internal dispatch records obtained by Fox News show that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) was instructed not to assist ICE officers during the confrontation.
“PLEASE CHIEF OF PATROL NO UNITS WILL RESPOND TO THIS,” the dispatch stated, describing a scene in which about 30 ICE agents were surrounded and requesting CPD backup.
In a public statement, CPD disputed the characterization, claiming officers had responded to the scene “to maintain public safety and traffic control.” But Fox News, citing two senior Chicago police sources, reported that this statement was “not true” and contradicted by internal orders.
Local Leaders Push Back
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Johnson have both openly opposed Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and expanded ICE operations in the city.
Governor Pritzker criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s description of Chicago as a “war zone,” claiming that the Trump administration’s own actions had contributed to the unrest.
After Pritzker declined to authorize the use of Illinois National Guard troops, Texas National Guard units were dispatched to Illinois earlier this week to assist federal agencies — further inflaming tensions between federal and state authorities.
On Monday, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order establishing “ICE-free zones” across the city, stating that public facilities and unwilling private businesses would no longer be used as staging grounds for immigration enforcement actions.
Recurring Violence and Escalation
The attack over the weekend is not the first time ICE officers have been targeted during Operation Midway Blitz. Similar incidents involving vehicles being used to obstruct or attack federal agents have been reported in recent weeks, including by individuals believed to be in the country illegally.
Federal officials say the level of hostility and risk to officers is rising. McLaughlin accused city leadership of actively hindering law enforcement operations and placing federal personnel in danger.
A Growing Federal-Local Divide
The clash in Chicago is emblematic of a broader national divide between the Trump administration’s immigration policies and progressive-led city and state governments that have declared sanctuary status.
Trump’s call for imprisonment of elected officials over non-cooperation with ICE marks a new rhetorical escalation, raising questions about the limits of federal power and the extent to which local jurisdictions can lawfully resist immigration enforcement directives.
As the 2026 election cycle intensifies, these high-profile battles are likely to remain center stage — both in policy debates and political campaigns.
READ NEXT: Chicago Mayor Declares ‘ICE-Free Zones’ Via Executive Order
What reasons could there be that they would risk being charged with federal crimes? They must be absolutely WORRIED about losing these illegals and criminals! What reasons could there be? I am sure that rational people can postulate what those reasons might be. Read the federal code referenced below.
Under U.S. federal law, specifically 8 U.S.C. § 1324, it is a crime to knowingly or recklessly harbor, conceal, or assist undocumented immigrants in evading detection, apprehension, or arrest by federal authorities such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This includes providing shelter, transportation, or other forms of aid with the intent to shield individuals from immigration enforcement.
The Supreme Court has clarified in United States v. Aguilar (1988) that harboring encompasses actions that substantially facilitate an undocumented immigrant’s ability to remain in the U.S. illegally, including direct aid intended to evade enforcement.
Individuals or organizations violating these laws face serious penalties, including imprisonment of up to 7 years per violation for a basic harboring offense, with potential increases to 20 years if serious bodily injury occurs, or life imprisonment if death results.
Fines can reach up to $250,000 for individuals or $500,000 for organizations, and assets used in or derived from such activities may be subject to forfeiture.
Conspiracy or aiding and abetting such acts carries the same penalties as the primary offense.
Cities or counties that fund non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in harboring or assisting undocumented immigrants to evade federal authorities could face significant legal and financial consequences, though direct criminal prosecution of local governments is rare due to jurisdictional and immunity issues.
Potential liabilities include federal civil lawsuits, injunctions to halt funding, loss of federal grants under 8 U.S.C. § 1373, and state-level penalties in anti-sanctuary states like Texas, where fines of up to $25,500 per day may apply
There’s an idea whose time has come. Lock ’em up!!!