Chicago prevents cooperation between law enforcement and ICE in targeting criminal migrants.

On Wednesday, the Chicago city council rejected a plan that would have enabled local police to cooperate with ICE in detaining migrants who have a criminal history.

The "welcoming city" ordinance of Chicago, in accordance with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, prohibits local law enforcement from engaging in federal immigration enforcement.

In 2023, Ald Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares proposed an ordinance that would allow police to collaborate with ICE to apprehend migrants who had been detained for gang or drug-related offenses or sexual crimes involving minors. However, their proposal was met with opposition from activist groups.

The proposed amendment was defeated by a 39-11 vote, as seen by the two officials.

A member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and resident of 30th ward, Jordan Kelly, spoke out against Lopez and Tabares' proposed amendment before Chicago officials voted it down.

"Ray Lopez and Tabares, who are self-hating cowards, want to turn our city into a living hell for migrants who are not only Latin. CAIR Chicago currently has 40-50 open asylum cases. If we don't remain a sanctuary, what do we tell these people and families? Additionally, our economy cannot handle mass deportations," Kelly stated.

The surge of migrants in Chicago has caused frustration among residents, particularly towards Mayor Brandon Johnson and his handling of the issue.

One resident who spoke at the city council meeting on Wednesday slammed Johnson

"What are you loyal to? The American citizens in Chicago or the illegal immigrants in Chicago?" the man asked. "The sanctuary law that Brandon Johnson allowed has resulted in an increase in criminals, drug dealers, and now terrorists."

After Johnson issued new guidelines last week, the vote to block the measure came after President-elect Trump returned to the White House.

Johnson's guidelines recommend that if ICE needs to enter city property, they should first contact their agency or department's designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. They should also contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor onsite and wait for their arrival before taking any action.

Officials should not allow ICE to enter private or sensitive locations without a warrant, but they should not interfere with any search if refused. It is recommended to take notes and keep contemporaneous written records.

Johnson is making an "extraordinary effort" to stop his proposal of removing migrants with a criminal record, as per the mayor's guidelines.

"Lopez stated on FOX 32 Chicago that he was surprised by the mayor's effort to stop what he and Ald. Tabares wanted to do, which was to remove a small number of individuals who committed crimes in the City of Chicago. He clarified that the narrative being spread by the mayor and his allies was not accurate, as they were not trying to remove everyone."

Trump's border czar nominee, Tom Homan, promised to intensify enforcement in Chicago, promising to confirm the status of asylum seekers and apprehend anyone offering sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.

The border czar warned that Johnson would face prosecution if he impeded ICE's efforts to deport large numbers of people.

Lopez nor Tabares did not immediately respond to a request for comment.