As Chicago officials and festival organizers continue to cancel Mexican Independence Day events over fears of possible ICE activity and a National Guard deployment, former Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis is criticizing the political response. Speaking on AM 560’s Chicago’s Morning Answer, Weis said the rhetoric from state and local leaders misrepresents federal law enforcement and undermines public safety.
Events Postponed Amid Immigration Enforcement Fears
El Grito Chicago, a long-running downtown festival, was the latest to announce postponement, citing “advice” from state and city officials who warned that large gatherings could attract federal attention. Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have characterized potential federal operations as “terrorizing” Latino communities, warning of masked agents and indiscriminate arrests.
Proft and Weis both questioned those claims, noting that ICE operations in Los Angeles earlier this year resulted in just 44 arrests, many involving serious offenders such as gang members and child predators. Weis said painting ICE agents as akin to terrorists was “stunning” and dangerous. “It’s like you think he’s talking about al-Qaeda,” Weis said, adding that such rhetoric encourages resistance and could fuel unrest.
Law Enforcement Cooperation
Weis, who also served with the FBI in Chicago, pointed to decades of successful collaboration between local police and federal agencies. He recalled Chicago officers embedded with FBI violent crime squads, training agents and working hand-in-hand on gang and drug investigations. “When you get the politicians out, the relationships are outstanding,” he said.
By contrast, Weis argued that today’s political climate leaves police without needed support. With CPD short thousands of officers, Weis said additional federal resources should be welcomed, as they have been in Washington, D.C., where even Mayor Muriel Bowser has acknowledged crime has dropped since a National Guard surge.
Community Safety and Federal Resources
Proft noted that many residents in high-crime neighborhoods — who don’t have the luxury of escaping to safer communities — have been calling for federal help. Weis agreed, saying immigrant communities in particular stand to benefit when ICE targets violent offenders. “Who are the victims? It’s their fellow immigrants,” he said.
Weis outlined how National Guard deployments could serve as a “force multiplier” for overwhelmed departments. Guardsmen could secure parks and drug markets, run checkpoints, and assist with intelligence analysis, freeing police to focus on proactive community work. Federal prosecutions, he added, carry longer sentences and can remove dangerous offenders from neighborhoods for good.
Missed Opportunity for Leadership
Weis described the refusal of Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson to cooperate with federal efforts as a political miscalculation. “This is a no-lose situation,” he argued. “If it doesn’t work, they can say they tried. But to just say no while residents are screaming for help is stunning.”
He contrasted the optimism of Chicago leaders’ press conferences with the lived reality of residents. Pointing to recent incidents where multiple people were shot in single attacks, Weis said, “You can’t sit back and say we couldn’t use help.” Ultimately, he lamented what he sees as performative leadership: “The citizens and the residents of Chicago deserve so much better.”