Chicago Mayor Orders Police To Investigate ICE Officers

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order titled "ICE On Notice" directing the Chicago Police Department to document alleged illegal activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, preserve body-camera footage and issue CPD guidance within 30 days, according to the mayor's office.

Johnson said the order creates a "clear procedure" to hold ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents accountable and described Chicago as the first city to build infrastructure for investigating and prosecuting federal immigration officers, in a post on X, according to the mayor's office.

Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke's spokesperson said the office "remains committed to protecting public safety" but later said it had not been briefed, while Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin emailed that "claims of criminal misconduct by ICE law enforcement are FALSE," marking conflicting official accounts.

The directive follows heightened scrutiny after the Sept. killing of Silverio Villegas González by an ICE agent and the Jan. fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and comes amid Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois that led to at least 2,800 arrests between mid-September and mid-October, records show.

Legal experts cautioned that federal law and court precedent often shield federal officers from state prosecution, and officials said the order could prompt federal intervention or litigation over jurisdiction in the coming weeks.