With Raids Looming, Chicago Mayor Blocks ICE Access To Databases

CHICAGO — Weeks after President Donald Trump said he was delaying planned, large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the nation, the raids are reportedly back on and expected to take place this weekend in Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York and San Francisco. This week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot moved to block ICE officials' access to city police databases and vowed that the city and Chicago Police Department will not cooperate with the sweeps, expected to start Sunday.

On Wednesday, Lightfoot and Chicago business leaders spoke at a joint press conference vowing to protect immigrant communities in the city.

"A lot of these issues regarding immigration and the fear and uncertainty about what's happening is falling disproportionately and harshly on children," Lightfoot said, adding, "Chicago is a city of immigrants ... Chicago is and will always be a welcoming city that will never tolerate ICE tearing our families apart in our communities."

Lightfoot claimed the threat of the raids has forced some residents to "hide in the shadows," skipping school or work to over the fear of deportation.

"We have also taken measures over the past few weeks to ensure that the Chicago Police Department will not cooperate with ICE," including not teaming up to detain residents and cutting off ICE access to all CPD databases, Lightfoot said.

CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Chicago Tribune that ICE will not be able to access the city's Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) system, but other federal agencies will still have access.

Like Lightfoot, some suburban mayors have taken a strong stand against the planned raids, including Aurora's Mayor Richard Irvin. Last month, Irvin said he backed Lightfoot in prohibiting use of city resources to aid or support ICE enforcement, adding, "While Aurora does not have any jurisdiction over federal actions, including the pending raids, I fully support our immigrant and refugee families who live in Aurora and object to any such raids that will separate families and traumatize entire segments of our community."

Other communities took a different stance. Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen told Patch that the village "supports the U.S. Constitution and all sworn law enforcement officers," adding, "We work with all levels of government to keep our citizens, visitors, guests, customers and businesses safe and crime free. We are a 'Nation of Laws.'"

Meanwhile on Friday, demonstrations were scheduled throughout the Chicago area to protest conditions in U.S. migrant camps. Lights for Liberty candlelight vigils were planned throughout the city and suburbs as part of a nationwide protest.