Chicago Will 'Absolutely' See ICE Action This Week, Border Czar Says

Leaders at the local, state and national levels have condemned the Trump administration's threats while preparing to protect the city's immigrants.

White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed on Sunday that federal immigration agents will “absolutely” descend on Chicago this week, as leaders at the local, state and national levels condemn the Trump administration’s threats and lies while preparing to protect the city’s vulnerable communities.

President Donald Trump and his allies have increasingly threatened to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and National Guard troops to the city under the guise of increasing public safety, using dehumanizing rhetoric to describe undocumented immigrants and spewing lies about Chicago’s crime levels.

Despite a California judge ruling that it would be illegal for Trump to send federal troops to allegedly fight crime in cities, Chicago officials anticipate that efforts to occupy the city would begin any day now ― a rumor that Homan confirmed while speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“Absolutely, you can expect action in most sanctuary cities across the country,” the Trump ally said. “President Trump has prioritized sanctuary cities because sanctuary cities knowingly release illegal alien public safety threats to the streets every day. That’s where the problem is.”

Trump’s efforts have faced extreme Democratic backlash from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, as well as Illinois lawmakers like Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, and Reps. Chuy Garcia and Delia Ramirez. Despite Homan’s claims otherwise, the politicians maintain that the administration has not contacted them or answered their many questions about the operation.