All the Times Chicago Proved Its Not Playing With ICE… At All

President Donald Trump just announced plans to send hundreds of National Guard troops to the streets of the city of Chicago. But while he claims his decision was made in an effort to clean up crime and protect federal property, many in the city don’t see it that way, and they’re putting their foot down in a way only Chicago could do.

Local residents and political representatives are currently protesting, saying the military’s presence will only escalate things and will make violence worse. So they’re calling for Trump to stay out of their city.

“Let me be clear, Donald Trump is using our service members as political props and as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said during a news conference in the West Loop on Monday (Oct. 6).

Here’s a closer look at how the city is fighting back.

Clashes With Agents

While the president has ignored both the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois’ requests to stay out of the city, the residents are using their right to protest, taking to the streets to let ICE know they are not wanted round these parts.

Devastating Damage to Property

Along with the emotional stress that has come along with the increased presence of ICE officers in Chicago, there has been devastating physical damage to property as well. This X post shows the aftermath after an early morning ICE raid on a building in the city’s South Shore neighborhood. Agents stormed into apartments, arrested 37 people and detained several others for hours.

A resident of the building told the Chicago Sun Times that federal agents “came from the roof, they came from the bottom, and they squeezed in so they couldn’t get away.”

“This is a part of what’s become and will be one of the most shameful periods in American history. But it’s not too late to wake up and to turn it around,” US Rep. Jesus Garcia (D-IL) said. “This isn’t just about immigrants. This is about controlling every one of our communities, Black, Brown, poor, working-class.”

Watch What You Say

Saying the wrong thing has made some Chicago residents a target of the troops. In this clip, ICE agents chase a delivery driver who said, “F*ck Trump” as he rode by. The driver – and his bike – ultimately got away.

Calling Out Hypocrisy

The presence of ICE in the Windy City has led to heated confrontations between officers and the public. In this clip, a man can be heard calling out to a Latino ICE officer in the area saying he should be ashamed to be causing so much harm to his own people.

“You’re gonna use that gun on your people, shame on you,” the man can be heard saying in the video. “I hope right now that your ancestors are looking at you.”

Local Politicians as Targets

Local politicians who have advocated for the rights of their constituents has reportedly found themselves the target of law enforcement.

Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes told MSNBC that she was handcuffed and shoved into the wall by federal ICE agents when she went into a hospital to ask if the agents had warrants for a person they were trying to detain in the emergency room.

The City Responds

On Monday (Oct. 6), Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson took steps to use the law to protect the citizens of his city, signing an Executive Order designating ICE-free zones around the city.

“City property and unwilling private businesses will not longer serve as staging grounds for these raids,” he said in a press conference.

Attorney Ben Crump shared the news in a post on X.

“As federal troops deploy to Chicago, this is a bold stand for accountability and human rights,” he captioned an October 7 post with the announcement. “No city should ever be turned into a battleground for political power.”

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