Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and “border czar” Tom Homan with ATF and Customs and Border Protection agents (Photo Credit: @DEACHICAGODiv/X).
This weekend, immigration enforcement began in Chicago and two of Donald Trump’s top officials were in the city to witness it.
The Associated Press reported that the President’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, and the acting deputy attorney general came to Chicago on Sunday to oversee the launch of immigration enforcement.
Not much is known about the operation, including the number of people arrested. However, Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) presence in Chicago on Sunday and confirmed that Chicago Police were not involved.
“Per City code, Chicago police were not involved in this immigration enforcement activity. My team and I are in close communication with City officials including the CPD,” Johnson stated in a social media post.
The Mayor encouraged Chicagoans to know their constitutional rights and spread Know Your Rights guidance with their neighbors and community.
We’ve received reports of ICE enforcement activity in Chicago today. Please know that Chicago police were not involved. My team and I are working closely with City officials. It’s important that everyone understands their rights. You can access the Know Your Rights resource guide… pic.twitter.com/SfAL7JXKlB
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) January 27, 2025
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove reported the involvement of immigration agents from the Department of Homeland Security, alongside personnel from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He refrained from disclosing specifics about the operation.
“We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities,” Bove said in a statement. “We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland. Most importantly, we will not rest until the work is done.”
The Chicago DEA office shared images on X that showed Bove and Homan with agents from ATF and Customs and Border Protection.
The DEA, along with our @TheJusticeDept partners, is assisting @DHSgov and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts. pic.twitter.com/go7vxf8xtc
— DEAChicago (@DEACHICAGODiv) January 26, 2025
These immigration enforcement efforts appear to fulfill Trump’s promise to ramp up immigration enforcement in “sanctuary cities” like Chicago. Further, Bove also issued a directive to federal prosecutors, commanding them to investigate state and local officials accused of obstructing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
However, several immigrant rights groups in the city are taking legal measures to stop immigration raids. On Saturday,
The suit, brought by Organized Communities Against Deportation, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, challenges President Trump’s plan for mass deportations in Chicago. The plaintiffs claim such actions would infringe on their First Amendment rights to free speech and could violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
They assert that the proposed immigration raids are retaliatory, targeting Chicago because of its Welcoming City Ordinance. This measure limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration agents in most circumstances.
“Immigrant communities who have called Chicago their home for decades are scared,” said Antonio Gutierrez from Organized Communities Against Deportation, one of the plaintiffs. “We refuse to live in fear and will fight any attempts to roll back the work we’ve done to keep families together.”
To access the Know Your Rights guide, which provides information on immigrant and refugee rights, visit this link.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.