Federal immigration officials will “absolutely” descend on Chicago this week, White House border czar Tom Homan told CNN on Sunday, setting off a wave of denunciations from Illinois leaders who said the administration has not provided local authorities with details and vowed to protect vulnerable communities.
Homan, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, made the pledge in an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, saying, “Absolutely, you can expect action in most sanctuary cities across the country,” and arguing that the administration has prioritized cities that he described as releasing “illegal alien public safety threats to the streets every day.” The administration and its allies have framed the planned deployments as measures to improve public safety; critics called the language dehumanizing and the threat of federal occupation unlawful.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois’ congressional delegation, including Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and Reps. Chuy García and Delia Ramirez, sharply rejected the plan and said the administration had not contacted them about the operation. Duckworth, speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation, said the president “essentially just declared war on a major city in his own nation.” Pritzker posted on X that the threat was “not normal” and accused Trump of trying to intimidate the state.
Johnson called the president’s rhetoric “beneath the honor of our nation,” and said city officials must protect residents "from autocratic efforts." The officials’ objections came as thousands of Chicagoans took to the streets Saturday in largely peaceful protests against the threatened deployment, and community groups worked to educate immigrants about their rights and how to respond if federal agents appear.
The dispute has unfolded alongside a legal backdrop that could constrain federal action. A California judge recently ruled that it would be illegal for the president to send federal troops to cities to fight crime, a decision that has been cited by critics of an extended federal occupation of municipalities. The White House has framed the effort as enforcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies rather than a military deployment.
President Trump added to tensions Saturday by posting an AI-generated image on Truth Social that depicted helicopters over a burning Chicago beside text reading “Chipocalypse Now.” The post included the line, "'I love the smell of deportations in the morning…,'" prompting condemnation from local leaders. Asked about the post on Sunday, Trump said, “I’m not going to war, we’re going to clean up our cities.”
Homan and administration supporters have repeatedly portrayed Chicago as beset by lawlessness and said Democratic municipal leaders are unable or unwilling to address public safety threats. Those claims conflict with law-enforcement data showing that other U.S. cities had higher homicide rates last year. FBI statistics and Chicago Police Department data indicate that 22 major U.S. cities recorded higher homicide rates than Chicago in the most recent comparable reporting. A WBEZ analysis noted that Chicago recorded its fewest murders during the summer this year since 1965, with a significant drop in homicides and overall violent crime near multi-decade lows.
Community and immigrant-rights groups said residents, particularly in Latino neighborhoods, were anxious about the prospect of federal agents operating in the city. Organizers urged calm and prepared “know your rights” materials and legal resources for people who might encounter immigration enforcement. The planned timing also overlapped with Mexican Independence Day celebrations, raising concerns among organizers about crowd safety and the presence of federal agents at cultural events.
Local officials said they had sought information from the federal government and that, to date, they had not received answers to questions about the scope, timing or legal authority for any operations. Homan’s confirmation that action could begin “this week” heightened those concerns and prompted renewed appeals from Illinois lawmakers for clarity and adherence to legal limits.
The White House has said federal authorities will prioritize enforcement in sanctuary jurisdictions, but administration officials have offered limited public detail about the precise agencies, personnel numbers or legal authorities to be used in Chicago. City and state officials said they will continue to monitor developments, coordinate legal and community responses, and work to protect residents and civic institutions.
As the situation unfolds, federal officials’ public statements and social media posts have sharpened political divisions and raised questions about how and when Washington intends to act. Chicago officials and advocates said they would continue to prepare legal challenges and community supports if federal enforcement actions begin.
Reporting on the planned operations and reactions is ongoing, and officials on all sides said they expect further developments in the coming days.