Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is spending taxpayer dollars to help illegal immigrants hide from federal immigration authorities, launching a citywide campaign with hundreds of transit ads instructing migrants how to “escape arrest” as President Trump steps up deportation efforts.
Key Takeaways
- Chicago is relaunching a “Know Your Rights” campaign with ads on 400+ CTA screens to help illegal immigrants evade ICE enforcement
- Mayor Johnson is preparing legal challenges against President Trump’s planned immigration enforcement operations in Chicago
- The city is refusing to share CityKey program records that would identify undocumented residents
- Chicago has received over 51,000 migrants since August 2022, straining city resources
- Some Chicago aldermen have suggested deploying local police to protect migrants from federal immigration officials
Chicago’s Mayor Mobilizes Against Federal Immigration Enforcement
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is ramping up his opposition to President Trump’s immigration enforcement plans by relaunching a taxpayer-funded campaign instructing illegal immigrants how to avoid deportation. The initiative will place advertisements on more than 400 screens throughout the Chicago Transit Authority system, directing migrants to resources on preparing for and evading ICE raids. This comes as Chicago has been identified as one of five cities targeted for tactical immigration enforcement operations following the ongoing border crisis.
Johnson has taken a confrontational stance toward federal immigration enforcement, vowing to use every available means to obstruct operations. “Even if the federal government doesn’t know or care about the Constitution, Chicagoans deserve to know their constitutional rights,” Johnson said at a City Hall news conference. The mayor’s resistance comes despite Chicago struggling to manage the more than 51,000 migrants who have arrived since August 2022, many through coordinated relocation efforts from border states like Texas.
The bridges came down, but the lies stayed up …
Chicago Collapses in Real Time: Teens Shot on Sidewalks, Cars Stolen in Front of Cops, Downtown Paralyzed for a Protest That Already Happenedhttps://t.co/FA5Tcn6fs7 | Street Reports | 12 June 2025 by @drkugler
Published:… pic.twitter.com/GrQYlKfWyW
— SubX.News® (@SubxNews) June 13, 2025
Using City Resources to Shield Illegal Immigrants
Chicago’s “Know Your Rights” campaign, developed in collaboration with pro-immigration advocacy groups, has drawn criticism from federal immigration officials. The materials provide step-by-step instructions on how to respond if approached by ICE agents, effectively creating obstacles for federal law enforcement. Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, called out Chicago’s approach directly: “For instance, Chicago is very well educated. They call it ‘know your rights.’ I call it how to escape arrest… how to hide from ICE.”
“For instance, Chicago is very well educated,” Homan said. “They call it ‘know your rights.’ I call it how to escape arrest … how to hide from ICE.” – Tom Homan
The Johnson administration has directed Chicago’s Law Department to refuse to release records of CityKey program applicants, a government identification card program primarily used by undocumented residents. Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry has even suggested revisiting FOIA laws to limit the release of sensitive information that could assist federal immigration authorities. The city is also supporting California’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over the National Guard deployment in Los Angeles for immigration enforcement.
Potential Legal Showdown Between City and Federal Authorities
Johnson has indicated he’s prepared to take his resistance to federal immigration enforcement to unprecedented levels. When asked about the potential deployment of federal troops or resources to Chicago for immigration enforcement, the mayor’s response was unequivocal: “Whatever is necessary. … We should all be committed to doing just that,” Johnson said. “Whether it’s in the courts, whether it’s in the streets or with policy, we’re going to continue to defend and stand up for working people.”
“Whatever is necessary. … We should all be committed to doing just that,” Johnson said in response to the remark at a City Hall news conference. “Whether it’s in the courts, whether it’s in the streets or with policy, we’re going to continue to defend and stand up for working people.” – Mayor Brandon Johnson
Some Chicago aldermen have taken even more radical positions, with Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez suggesting deploying local police to protect public spaces from ICE raids – effectively positioning city law enforcement against federal authorities. Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted over allegations that the Chicago Police Department has been sharing personal information of arrestees with ICE, despite the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance that restricts such practices. A forthcoming committee hearing will investigate these claims, which could further inflame tensions between local and federal officials over immigration enforcement responsibilities.
