Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss said he turned off city license-plate readers and warned residents after receiving what he described as credible intelligence that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers could be operating in his community as the Department of Homeland Security launched a regional enforcement effort.
Biss, a Democrat running to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., in 2026, told CNN he was "in the dark" about specific Department of Homeland Security plans but that he had received information from a senior state official indicating that "it was likely that ICE would be coming to Evanston in today and in the coming days." He said he informed residents Tuesday about his concerns and the precautionary actions he took so people could "protect themselves."
Biss defended the steps as consistent with long-standing local policy, saying, "We've been doing everything we can to protect our residents from before Donald Trump took office, passing strong sanctuary laws to make sure police are not cooperating with federal civil immigration enforcement." He said officials turned off license-plate cameras after learning that the data from those systems was being shared with outside agencies.
License-plate readers do not issue citations like red-light cameras; rather, they read and store vehicle information that can be retrieved later and, in some cases, used by state or federal law enforcement to track a vehicle's movements. Biss said the move to disable the readers was intended to limit passive data-sharing that could expose residents to enforcement actions.
Biss also described using what he called "rapid response training" while attending a Mexican Independence Day parade in Chicago, saying he watched for individuals who might be acting on behalf of federal immigration enforcement. "My responsibility was to see which masked individual might, with no warning, just grab people off the street [or] which uniformed personnel might, without warning, attack our people," he said in a video recorded as he left the event.
The mayor framed his actions as protecting civil liberties and public safety amid what he characterized as an increase in authoritarian tactics. He told supporters that "history will remember how Chicago stood in solidarity in this moment. Stay strong, stay safe."
Biss's comments came as DHS announced "Operation Midway Blitz," an enforcement operation in the area. The announcement and Biss's subsequent remarks followed protests in Illinois over immigration enforcement and a separate, council-requested inquiry in Chicago into the police department's role during a recent ICE raid.
Biss pushed back on criticism from a social media account tied to the Republican National Committee that accused him of obstructing federal procedures, responding with a reference to other controversies in national politics. Fox News Digital reported attempting to reach Biss for further comment but received no response by press time.
Local and state sanctuary policies in Illinois limit the extent to which municipal police can assist federal immigration agents, a framework Biss cited in defending his decisions. He said his office acted out of concern for residents and to reduce opportunities for federal agents to use locally collected data.
The actions underscore tensions between municipal officials in Democratic-leaning jurisdictions and federal immigration authorities under the current administration. Biss is among several Democratic mayors and officials nationwide who have emphasized limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, arguing the moves protect immigrant communities and promote trust in local law enforcement. Federal officials say partnerships and access to data are vital for locating individuals who may pose risks to public safety.
Biss's congressional candidacy adds a political dimension to the dispute. He is running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Schakowsky, who announced she will not seek reelection in 2026. How the mayor's actions in Evanston will play in a broader congressional campaign is uncertain; local advocacy groups and elected leaders have offered varied praise and criticism of municipal efforts to shield residents from federal immigration enforcement.
DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the specific operations described by Biss. ICE has in the past conducted targeted enforcement actions that local officials and immigrant-rights advocates have criticized as disruptive and harmful to communities. Federal officials say such operations are part of enforcing federal immigration law and often focus on individuals with criminal convictions or national-security concerns.
The episode illustrates the ongoing debate over the proper balance between federal immigration enforcement and local policies intended to protect immigrant communities and maintain cooperative relationships with local law enforcement. Biss said his actions were meant to keep residents informed and safe while the details of federal operations remained unclear.