Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Signs 'ICE On Notice' Order
Order directs Chicago Police Department to preserve body-camera footage and refer alleged federal agent felonies to Cook County State’s Attorney within 30 days.
Overview
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed the "ICE On Notice" executive order on Jan. 31, 2026, directing the Chicago Police Department to investigate and document alleged illegal activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol agents and to refer potential felony cases to Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke.
Johnson said in a post on X that the order responds to Operation Midway Blitz and the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota, and records show Operation Midway Blitz led to at least 2,800 arrests in Illinois between mid-September and mid-October.
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said her office did not receive the executive order before its public release and wrote on X that Johnson's claim of "complete support" was inaccurate, while Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara Jr. called the order "a piece of toilet paper" in a statement.
The order instructs CPD officers to preserve body-camera footage, seek to identify federal supervisory officers and badge numbers, complete reports on alleged violations of state or local law, and issue implementation guidance within 30 days, officials said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and legal experts warned that qualified immunity and federal supremacy in immigration matters could limit local prosecutions even as the mayor's office said it is preparing for potential expansion of federal operations into Chicago this spring.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Johnson’s order as a politically charged escalation that foregrounds his confrontational rhetoric and the order’s novelty while treating prosecutorial mechanics as secondary. Editorial choices amplify symbolic language and political stakes; they include state’s attorney pushback as source content but still emphasize conflict and implementation gaps over legal detail.
Sources (8)
FAQ
Operation Midway Blitz is a federal immigration operation that led to at least 2,800 arrests in Illinois between mid-September and mid-October, prompting Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's 'ICE On Notice' executive order.
The order responds to incidents including the fatal shootings of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, Marimar Martinez in Chicago, and Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during federal immigration enforcement.
CPD must document federal enforcement activities, preserve body-camera footage, identify supervisory officers and badge numbers, complete reports on violations of state or local law, refer felony evidence to the Cook County State's Attorney, and share data publicly.
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke stated her office did not receive the order beforehand and disputed Johnson's claim of her support; Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara Jr. called it 'a piece of toilet paper'.
Legal experts warn that qualified immunity and federal supremacy in immigration matters could limit local prosecutions of federal agents.
History
- 4 sources
