Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson held a press conference this week warning residents that federal immigration enforcement and potential National Guard deployment would “terrorize” immigrant communities rather than improve public safety. Pritzker claimed ICE raids were timed to coincide with Mexican Independence Day celebrations and suggested their true purpose was cruelty, not crime prevention.
Chicago Alderman Ray Lopez, who represents the 15th Ward, joined Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft to challenge that framing. Lopez argued that city leaders have long refused to cooperate with ICE detainer requests, forcing federal agents into neighborhoods to apprehend offenders. He noted that the city could have turned over violent offenders already flagged by the Biden administration, including hundreds of Venezuelan migrants identified as threats, instead of leaving communities exposed.
Lopez criticized local officials for dismissing violent incidents while insisting crime is falling. He cited two teenagers shot near Tilden High School in Canaryville and another man killed in Back of the Yards in just the past week. “My residents want accountability,” Lopez said, stressing that local leaders should welcome federal assistance if it reduces victimization.
Chicago Public Schools has also pledged non-cooperation with ICE, sending out district-wide guidance that federal agents would not be allowed on campuses without a judge-signed warrant. Lopez said such positions leave residents caught between political posturing and day-to-day safety concerns.
The alderman added that National Guard troops would not act as police but could relieve CPD of security duties at tourist areas and transit hubs, freeing sworn officers to respond to 911 calls in struggling neighborhoods. He rejected Pritzker’s dismissal of Chicago’s crime by comparing it to other states, arguing local leaders must focus on their own city instead of “whataboutism.”
Lopez also weighed in on Mayor Johnson’s broader leadership, pointing to his reluctance to hire more police officers and his repeated reliance on racial rhetoric to deflect criticism. Lopez argued that Johnson’s approach elevates criminals while leaving victims behind, undermining communities of all backgrounds across Chicago.