On Saturday, August 30, 2025, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson drew a bold line in the sand against the Trump administration’s plans for a federal immigration crackdown in the city. In a move that quickly reverberated through political circles and immigrant communities alike, Johnson signed an executive order instructing all city departments—including the Chicago Police Department—to refrain from collaborating with an anticipated deployment of National Guard troops and federal agents, as reported by The Associated Press and TIME.
"We will protect our constitution. We will protect our city. And we will protect our people. We do not want to see tanks in our streets. We do not want to see families ripped apart," Johnson declared at a city hall press conference, framing the executive order as "the most sweeping campaign of any city in the country to protect ourselves from the threats and actions of this out-of-control administration." According to TIME, Johnson’s order specifically barred the Chicago Police from wearing masks, and from participating in joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or any duties related to civil immigration enforcement. The order also prohibited all city departments from joining any enforcement actions that could infringe on Chicagoans’ rights to assemble and protest peacefully.
Johnson’s executive order comes amid mounting reports that President Donald Trump is considering a militarized federal intervention in Chicago, possibly involving federal agents, National Guard troops, or even active-duty military forces as early as the end of the first week of September. Two U.S. officials, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, indicated that the surge could begin as soon as September 5 and last about 30 days. Unlike the recent federal operation in Washington, D.C., which leaned heavily on the National Guard, the Chicago plan is reportedly focused exclusively on immigration enforcement and not on a broader anti-crime campaign.
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, told Fox & Friends that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) already has "a big operation up there and it’s about to get a lot bigger." He confirmed that ICE would be ramping up operations in Chicago after Labor Day, with a "large contingent" involved. The Associated Press reported that ICE officers have increasingly adopted face coverings to conceal their identities since the Trump administration took charge this year, a practice Johnson’s order explicitly blocks for Chicago police.
Chicago, home to one of the nation’s largest immigrant populations, has long maintained strong local and state rules against cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. This stance has repeatedly put the city and the state of Illinois at odds with President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Johnson’s executive order, in many ways, doubles down on this tradition—asserting that neither the city nor Illinois officials were consulted about the federal plans and demanding that Trump “stand down.”
During Saturday’s press conference, Johnson didn’t mince words when asked about the federal agents: "Yeah, and I don’t take orders from the federal government." He went further, accusing Trump of "behaving outside the bounds of the Constitution" and using federal deployments as political retribution against Democratic-led cities. “He is reckless and out of control,” Johnson said. “He’s the biggest threat to our democracy that we’ve experienced in the history of our country.”
President Trump, for his part, has not shied away from criticizing Chicago’s leadership. On August 22, he told reporters, “Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we’ll straighten that one out, probably next.” On August 30, he took to his Truth Social site to comment about Chicago crime and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, further fueling the political firestorm. Trump has consistently threatened to deploy National Guard troops to cities like Chicago, Baltimore, and Oakland, citing the need to “address crime.”
Yet, the data tells a more nuanced story. According to city police statistics cited by TIME, crime in Chicago has actually decreased by 15% since 2023, with fatal and nonfatal shootings down nearly 38% in 2025 compared to the previous year. This drop in violence stands in contrast to Trump’s claims about the city’s lawlessness and raises questions about the necessity—and motivation—behind the federal crackdown.
Johnson, meanwhile, is not acting alone. He’s working with the city council to pass legislation to further prepare for any federal deployment, though he acknowledged the urgency of the situation leaves little time for deliberation. The executive order commits the city to pursue all available legal and legislative avenues to counter federal actions that could violate constitutional rights, including the right to assemble, protest, and due process.
The backdrop to this standoff is Chicago’s long history as a sanctuary city—a place that has often stood as a bulwark against federal immigration enforcement. The mayor’s latest order builds on this legacy, reaffirming the city’s commitment to protecting its immigrant communities and resisting what Johnson and his allies describe as federal overreach. “This executive order will ensure that every Chicagoan knows their rights, that every single family is prepared, and every part of city government is directed to protect the people of Chicago from federal action,” Johnson said, as quoted by TIME.
The White House, however, sees things differently. In a statement to The Associated Press, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “If these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticize the President, their communities would be much safer.” The administration insists that the deployment of federal agents is about “cracking down on crime,” not political retribution, and has drawn on the precedent of militarized takeovers in cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. to justify its approach.
Still, the prospect of a federal law enforcement surge—especially one that could include militarized elements—has sparked anxiety among residents and civil rights advocates. Johnson’s order explicitly prohibits city participation in any enforcement actions "aimed at violating Chicagoans' rights to peacefully assemble and protest." The city’s stance is clear: it will not be complicit in actions that could lead to the kind of scenes witnessed in other cities, where federal deployments resulted in confrontations and widespread criticism.
As the first week of September approaches, Chicago finds itself at the center of a national debate over the limits of federal power, the rights of cities, and the meaning of public safety in a democracy. With both sides digging in, the coming days may well test the city’s resolve—and the nation’s understanding of constitutional rights—like never before.
