Claiming that a “rematch of the Civil War” was under way, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has issued an “ICE Free Zone” executive order.
The order bans federal immigration agents from using any city-owned property, according to a news release posted on the city’s website.
“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,” Johnson said.
“With this Executive Order, Chicago stands firm in protecting the Constitutional rights of our residents and immigrant communities and upholding our democracy,” he continued.
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… pic.twitter.com/qDXR7hYYpl
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) October 6, 2025
The order said the “use of City resources” for immigration enforcement “erodes trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, weakening the relationships that are essential to ensuring public safety and effective community policing.”
During a news conference, Johnson said, “The right wing in this country wants a rematch of the Civil War,” according to Fox News.
“The Trump administration must end the war on Chicago,” Johnson said. “The Trump administration must end this war against Americans. The Trump administration must end its attempt to dismantle our democracy.”
Brandon Johnson: “The right wing of this country wants a REMATCH of the Civil War…”
What an incredibly stupid thing to say…HISTORY LESSON: The right was the side abolishing slavery
pic.twitter.com/RmhV6GswM0— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) October 6, 2025
Johnson said the “extreme right” does not accept the results of the Civil War when slavery was abolished.
“They have repeatedly called for a rematch, but in the coming weeks, we will use this opportunity to build greater resistance. Chicagoans are clear that militarizing our troops in our city as justification to further escalate a war in Chicago will not be tolerated,” he asserted.
President Donald Trump has ordered National Guard troops to Chicago, where on Saturday residents sought to blockade a Border Patrol vehicle.
“It’s like a war zone,” he said. “You can go to Afghanistan, you can go to a lot of different places, and they probably marvel at how much crime we have,” according to The New York Times.
Sanctuary politicians like @JBPritzker have not only turned over their states to violent illegal aliens, they are also actively working against law enforcement in support of lawless anarchists.
DHS under President Trump is deploying a whole-of-government approach to restore law… pic.twitter.com/z3U6U5n5IE
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) October 5, 2025
Trump noted that there is a law on the books he could use if courts refuse to allow him to deploy National Guard members.
“We have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” he said.
“If I had to enact it, I’d do that if people were being killed and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up,” he said.
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