Chicago's far-left leadership just made its priorities crystal clear—criminal illegal aliens first, federal law second. Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) has signed an executive order aimed at blocking federal immigration authorities from doing their jobs in the city, even as Chicago grapples with out-of-control crime, an illegal immigration crisis, and mounting public frustration.
The order openly declares that city police will not assist federal agents in arresting or removing illegal immigrants, even those with criminal records. Instead, the city’s law department has been instructed to use “any and every legal mechanism” to target the federal government for trying to enforce immigration laws.
Johnson is already sounding the alarm about hypothetical scenarios of “militarized immigration enforcement” and “armed vehicles in our streets,” despite no such operations being underway. He’s using this as justification to cut off cooperation between Chicago police and federal immigration agencies, putting politics above public safety.
BREAKING: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order to resist federal agents arresting criminal illegal aliens in his city. “We may see militarized immigration enforcement. We may also see National Guard troops. We may even see active-duty military in armed… pic.twitter.com/oOLXX4MGEo
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) August 30, 2025
According to CNN, the executive order gives formal directives to city departments “in the midst of escalating threats from the federal government.” But the real “threat” appears to be the enforcement of immigration law—a duty clearly assigned to the federal government, not local politicians with political ambitions.
The order “affirms” that Chicago police will not join federal agents for “joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or other law enforcement duties, including civil immigration enforcement.” It also “urges” federal officers to take off their masks, wear body cameras, and identify themselves while operating in Chicago—essentially giving illegal immigrants every advantage possible while tying the hands of those enforcing the law.
Johnson's move isn't about protecting civil liberties, but about creating a sanctuary city so extreme that it now seeks to obstruct federal authority altogether. Johnson’s administration has taken the disastrous sanctuary city model a step further by effectively daring the federal government to intervene while harboring those in open violation of U.S. law.
Johnson’s executive order doesn’t protect “Chicagoans.” It protects illegal immigrants with criminal records and makes the city a safe haven for lawbreakers—at the expense of law-abiding citizens