Chicago City Wire

Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order that prohibits federal immigration agents from using city-owned property for immigration enforcement operations in Chicago. The “ICE Free Zone” executive order is part of the mayor’s Protecting Chicago initiative, which aims to protect residents’ constitutional rights and strengthen community trust.

“We will not tolerate ICE agents violating our residents’ constitutional rights nor will we allow the federal government to disregard our local authority. ICE agents are detaining elected officials, tear-gassing protestors, children, and Chicago police officers, and abusing Chicago residents. We will not stand for that in our city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “With this Executive Order, Chicago stands firm in protecting the Constitutional rights of our residents and immigrant communities and upholding our democracy.”

The new directive follows reports of federal immigration agents using parking lots at Chicago Public Schools and a city-owned lot at Harrison and Kedzie as staging sites for enforcement activities. These actions were found to violate the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which restricts cooperation with federal immigration authorities. City officials say such use of municipal resources undermines trust between immigrant communities and the city, which is crucial for public safety.

Under the executive order, all city departments must identify spaces that have been or could be used by federal immigration authorities for enforcement purposes. Signage will be posted on these properties stating they cannot be used as staging areas, processing locations, or operations bases for civil immigration enforcement. Physical barriers like locked gates may also be installed where possible to prevent unauthorized access.

City employees are required to report any attempted use of municipal property for immigration enforcement directly to the Office of the Mayor and Corporation Counsel. Departments have five days to implement these measures.

The mayor’s office also plans to distribute official signage free of charge so private landowners can declare their properties off-limits to federal immigration agents seeking entry for civil enforcement activities. “Know Your Rights” materials will be provided to inform employees, tenants, and security staff about their legal protections if approached by federal agents.

This order does not prevent lawful uses of city property unrelated to immigration enforcement. More details about the Protecting Chicago initiative are available at chicago.gov/protect and the full text of the executive order will be posted on the City Clerk’s website.