Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States, Kristi Noem visited Chicago last Friday, employing the opportunity to express criticism towards lawmakers of Illinois. Her censure was directed specifically at Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson for upholding policies that limit the scope of local cooperation with immigration enforcement on a federal level. At the same time, local communities pledged to redouble their efforts to counter overly zealous implementation of these policies. The Secretary’s message was met with prompt and harsh dissent from local political figures and community groups who pledged to carry on raising awareness in immigrant communities about their rights, with the belief that the intention behind Noem’s message was purely to incite fear.
In their view, it’s noteworthy that the recent undertakings by Noem’s Homeland Security department were not in line with instilling accountability. They were seen as pursuing a mass targeting and fear-evoking strategy that derails local efforts to assure safety for all residents of the city. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office, in a public response, critiqued the Federal administration for instigating a campaign of fear and division, repeatedly infringing upon the Constitution, depriving folks of due process, and breaking apart hardworking families that contribute significantly to the community.
Secretary Noem conducted her press conference from a Lombard field office amidst a group of around three dozen protesters. She used the opportunity to iterate the administration’s priorities on the subject of immigration enforcement. These priorities were laid out by President Donald Trump when he assumed office, touting pledges for a significant increase in arrests and deportations. Even though there’s been a rise in arrests and deportations since Trump took office, they are yet to reach the promised figures, and the administration has repeatedly voiced their frustrations about so-called “sanctuary cities”.
These cities refer to jurisdictions where certain statutes are in place that deter any official cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. These rules necessitate warrants or court orders for such federal authorities seeking access or information. Noem critiqued the elected officials of Illinois, stating that they were disregarding the law and, in fact, hindering the removal of dangerous criminals off their streets.
A Federal judge in Chicago refuted the allegations of the Trump administration last month, upholding the rights of the state, city, and county to opt out of participation in the federal immigration enforcement routines, as protected by the 10th Amendment. A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson responded to Secretary Noem’s claims, reminding that in Chicago, they do root out criminals but will not be an aid in what they consider ‘militarized mass deportations’.
Governor Pritzker has consistently stood by the ‘sanctuary’ law, known as the TRUST Act, which was previously signed by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner back in 2017. Even at a congressional hearing led by Republicans earlier this year, he defended it. Pritzker clarified his refusal to take part in any law violations or excesses of power, vowing that they would stick to the law and focus their valuable local and state resources on combating crime.
Secretary Noem produced figures stating that, so far in the year, ICE has issued more than 1,664 detainer requests within Chicago, with only 8% of them being met with a positive response. The city was contacted to verify these numbers but did not respond before the given deadline. Nonetheless, local authorities have earlier stated that they are compliant with the law when it comes to immigration-related requisitions.
Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city goes back four decades to when Mayor Harold Washington issued an executive order to that effect. However, some adjustments were made following the assumption of office by President Donald Trump in 2017. The objective now is to ensure that immigrants without legal rights can report crime without the dread of deportation while preventing the federal government from using local police as a main resource.
Secretary Noem also drew attention to four individuals, arrested recently by immigration authorities, who had convictions for violent crimes. An analysis of available data revealed substantial increases in the number of individuals initially held at two ICE processing centers in Chicago. Many of these individuals had no known criminal records, according to ICE. The analysis highlighted that in Trump’s initial 150 days, ICE detained three times as many immigrants convicted of crimes compared to the last 150 days of President Joe Biden’s term. However, under the Trump administration, the number of immigrants without any known criminal history detained by ICE was nine times higher.
Noem discussed actions to increase ICE agent recruitment numbers. Regarding a query about ICE agents wearing masks for enforcement operations, she reasoned that it’s generally done to protect their identities. Recently, Chicago Aldermen Andre Vásquez and Mike Rodríguez proposed a utility bill in the Illinois General Assembly to prevent federal agents from hiding their identifications by wearing masks. Vásquez explained his actions by stating that communities should not live in fear of masked agents potentially abducting their family members any time without a warrant.
After Noem’s press conference closed, the assembly of immigrant rights advocates and their supporters continued to gather outside the HSI office located in the western suburb, joining in chants to assert, ‘Immigrants are welcome here.’ Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and board president of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, commented on the developments. She voiced the sentiment that Illinois communities have been successful in advocating for their immigrant neighbors and protecting them against unfounded federal litigation.
Other attendees expressed that they remain watchful of what they interpret as continued escalation by the Trump administration. ‘We intend to ensure readiness in our communities for any further actions from ICE and Trump while disseminating knowledge about their rights to all immigrants including green card holders, temporary visa recipients, and mixed-status families’, said Itedal Shalabi, executive director of Arab American Family Services.
After Trump’s presidential inauguration, federal immigration authorities conducted widely publicized operations in the Chicago area. This unprecedented display of authority generated a wave of fear and uncertainty in local communities. The consequential fear and uncertainty has had far-reaching economic implications, disturbing the normalcy of everyday life.
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