Speaker 1 (00:00):
… all the elected officials who are here this morning. Thank you to the community-based organizations that are standing together in this critical moment in our nation's history. We are here today to talk about the events that have transpired over the past week. The past week revealed the true face of the administration's immigration enforcement in our city, and the entire world was able to witness that. On Tuesday, federal immigration agents raided an apartment building in the South Shore community in the middle of the night. This building was managed by a slum lord that people have all been clear about. The city actually sued the owner in February over 15 building code violations. The residents were dealing with deplorable conditions already. This was before ICE trampled them.
(00:57)
But when they came in the middle of the night, they terrorized the families living there. Were children who were without clothing. They were zip-tied, taken outside at three o'clock in the morning. A senior resident, an American citizen with no warrants, was taken outside and handcuffed for three hours. Doors were blown off their hinges. Walls were broken through. Immigration agents coming from Black Hawk helicopters to set up snipers on nearby buildings. This is America.
(01:42)
One resident described the situation plainly and I quote, "They had immigrants in one van and Black people in another van." This raid wasn't about public safety, and it's certainly not about immigration. This was about a show of authoritarianism, a forceful display of tyranny. They sent a clear message to all Chicagoans. They said, "We do not respect your rights. We can do anything we want and we will film it and put it on social media." The very next day, ICE agents chased people outside of a homeless shelter on the South Side and then caused a car accident on the West Side. Immigration agents put a young Black man in a chokehold on the side of the street in East Garfield Park. Witnesses, one of which you will hear from this morning, bravely filmed the interaction eventually leading to this person's release.
(02:45)
On Friday, agents dispersed tear gas in the middle of a busy city street. Chicagoans were hit with chemical agents while walking their children home from school. A couple ran from tear gas with a two-year-old child in their care. Agents went into the Humboldt Park Health Center and detained a sitting elected official, Alder Jesse Fuentes of the 26th Ward, because she simply requested to see a warrant.
(03:16)
On Saturday, they escalated even further by shooting a US citizen. They claimed it was defensive fire, but frankly, we cannot trust anything that comes out of the administration. It was only a few short weeks ago that they claimed officers were severely injured in the killing of Mr. Villegas Gonzalez in Franklin Park. A Sun-Times investigation found that the agent said on a body camera footage that it was in fact nothing major.
(03:44)
We have a rogue reckless group of heavily armed masked individuals roaming throughout our city that are not accountable to the people of Chicago. Their actions put all Chicagoans at risk. When protesters confronted federal immigration agents in Brighton Park on Saturday, they were met with pepper balls and more repression. CPD responded to attempt to de-escalate the situation and ICE tear gassed our police officers.
(04:16)
Let me be clear. Tear gassing women and men who serve as Chicago Police Department officers is not how we make our city safer. I'm calling for a full investigation into this incident and into all of the brutality that we have seen over the past week. They are taking police resources that should be in our neighborhoods serving Chicagoans and diverting them to deal with the chaos that they are causing. We need ICE out of our city so that we can continue to focus on the strategies that have been working to drive violent crime down.
(04:57)
These actions tell us a simple truth. If we allow this administration to take away due process for anyone, we will allow them to take away due process for everyone. They told us that this was about the worst of the worst. In reality, they are going after anyone who objects to families being ripped apart and community members being disappeared. ICE lies and people die. We cannot allow this to continue. We must take action more drastic than what we have taken before because what we are seeing is a more radical attempt to undermine our democracy.
(05:37)
And today, we are signing an executive order aimed at reigning in this out of control administration. The order establishes ICE-free zones. That means that city property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids. Our school parking lots are not for ICE to lull their weapons. They are for Chicagoans who drop their kids off to learn. Our libraries are not for ICE to prepare for a raid. They're for Chicagoans to read and relax. Our parks are not for ICE to set up checkpoints. They are for Chicagoans to play and enjoy. Private establishments can partner with us to make it clear that private property is private property and ICE cannot enter establishments without a valid warrant. Private entities may voluntarily choose to display signage to designate the property as part of a citywide network of community spaces that stand together in affirming the safety, dignity, and belonging of all of our residents.
(06:59)
By extending this protection beyond city-owned land, the order builds a broad civic shield that limits the reach of harmful enforcement practices, it strengthens neighborhood solidarity, and it reaffirms Chicago's role as a welcoming city. The fact is we cannot allow them to rampage throughout our city with no checks or balances. Nobody is above the law. If we break the law, you should be held accountable. If Congress will not check this administration, then Chicago will.
(07:41)
I know there are many Chicagoans who are disturbed by the images and the videos that they are seeing on the news and social media. There are many who are scared and shocked by what they are seeing. The truth is that we are at a tipping point. This administration is trying to divide us and pit people groups against one another. They want to divide and conquer. And as I said in the South Shore, and this has been said very clearly, Black people in one band and immigrants in another, in the face of this unprecedented threat, this moment calls for unity. Black, brown, white, Asian, young, old, North Side, West Side, South Side, we must all pull aside our differences and defend one another. Because if we allow this to continue to be unchecked, by the time we realize what's happening, it'll be too late. And this executive order is a step towards accountability and it's calling for the basic rule of law.
(08:38)
In the coming days and weeks, we may be pushed, if not forced, to take even more dramatic action if this administration continues to escalate and provoke our people. In closing, last night I spoke with the governor and he informed me that Trump administration is deploying Texas National Guard to our city. We will speak to our response later today. We'll do that with the governor as well as the Attorney General. For now, let me just say that we are unequivocally going to continue to reject the military occupation of our city. The Trump administration must end the war on Chicago. The Trump administration must end this war against Americans. Trump administration must end its attempt to dismantle our democracy.
(09:34)
Right as we are making historic progress in reducing violence, the Trump administration is seeking to destabilize our city and provoke chaos. We said that they would use ICE as a pretext to send in the National Guard, and now they are doing just that. I've also said in the last couple of years that the extreme right in this country refused to accept the results of the Civil War. They have repeatedly called for a rematch. But in the coming weeks, we will use this opportunity to build greater resistance. Chicagoans are clear, militarizing our troops in our city as justification to further escalate a war in Chicago will not be tolerated.
(10:20)
The past teaches us that just because we are on the right side of history, that doesn't mean that we will succeed. It's going to take courage and determination, bravery, unity. But one thing that I know for sure in this great nation, this moment that we are in, Chicago was built for this moment. Immigrants from around the world, descendants of slaves, have come to this city to make it the global capital of the world. And now we stand in a moment that is testing our very humanity, and the city of Chicago will stand the test of time. Thank you very much. And now, please welcome to the podium, Pastor Chris Harris.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Say good morning.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Good morning.
Crowd (11:14):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
My name is Pastor Chris Harris and I want to begin by saying thank you to our mayor, Brandon Johnson, and to the many city leaders and constituents who are present here today. I serve as a senior pastor of two churches on the South Side of Chicago, Bright Star Church Chicago and St. James Church Chicago. I'm also the founder and CEO of two social services agencies, Bright Star Community Outreach and Bright Star Community Development Corporation, where we manage a homeless shelter that supports more than 260 residents, housing both men and women.
(11:52)
I'm joined here today together with our executive directors of both organizations, Lakreshia Kindred and Carl West. Together, our agencies employ more than 140 Chicagoans. And every day, we work to uplift, to serve, and protect the most vulnerable among us. For those who need emotional support, please call our Bright Star trauma Helpline at 833-TURN-123. If there was ever a time that we needed support, now is that time.
(12:26)
Just a few days ago at our Bright Star homeless shelter in Bronzeville, the Black Metropolis, ICE agents raided our facility. Without warning, they came in. They handcuffed, detained, and took four residents. Let me be clear, they were not criminals. They were human beings trying to survive, trying to heal, and trying to find home shelter. Our shelter is not harboring criminals. We're housing the unhoused.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
We're offering dignity to those who society has discarded. And yet, while our city is showing compassion, there are those who are cheering this chaos. Some in power claim Chicago is too violent, and they say that is the reason that ICE and soldiers are being deployed here. But let me remind you of something crucial. Neither the governor of Illinois, nor the mayor of Chicago, ever requested migrants to be sent here.
(13:32)
If you want to hold people accountable, don't just hold those accountable who are powerless, hold those accountable who are powerful. Arrest those political officials who heinously use government money to charter planes and buses to send migrants and immigrants to sanctuary cities like ours. Let's call their names. Governor Craig Abbott of Texas sent bus after bus, even planes, to Chicago. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida flew families to Martha's Vineyard for political theater. Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona sent migrants across the nation to make headlines. If it's illegal to cross a border seeking safety, then it ought to be illegal to use human beings as political pawns.
(14:34)
To everyone listening, whether you support our mayor or not, whether you support our governor or not, let's acknowledge one major fact. Violence trends rose before migrants were illegally transported into Chicago. And the hard data shows that even with thousands and thousands of so-called illegal and violent migrants present, overall violence in our city is lower now than it has been in decades, and we need to celebrate that finding.
(15:09)
Now, this is not an excuse to grow complacent. The work is far from finished, but it is a fact that we must face and acknowledge honestly. So let us do two things at once.
(15:21)
First, appreciate those local leaders and frontline teams whose strategies are actually reducing harm, strategies that deserve more resources and investment so they can scale and replicate. Second, let's demand accountability where it is due, both for officials who created this chaos relocation policy, and for agencies that overstep their authority in our neighborhoods. This is not an endorsement of any political candidate. This is a nod of appreciation to leadership that is standing up in the face of adversity, and a plea not to be distracted from the work that actually keeps our communities much safer.
(16:08)
Chicago is not the problem. Chicago became the solution. When others turned their backs, we opened our doors. When others built walls, we built tables. We are not a city of cruelty. You ought to clap on this; we are a city of compassion. As the book that I preach and teach out of every single week, it says, "I was a stranger, and you took me in." That's not politics. That's scripture. That's humanity. Can I say it again? That's humanity.
(16:43)
But now we see this injustice in uniform. Our own government is being used against those of us who are proud American citizens. ICE is not just arresting undocumented immigrants. I witnessed it with my own eyes. They are arresting African-Americans on our streets. They're taking people who have legal paperwork, and even confiscating those papers. They snatched them out of our hands. I was the one that took the camera and recorded what was going on, the snatching the papers to erase proof of status. This is not immigration enforcement. This is intimidation. Let me say it again. It's not immigration enforcement. It's intimidation. And if they can do it to them, they can do it to us all.
(17:34)
So I close with this. Don't give them what they want, Chicago. They want us to get angry enough to lash out. They want to point their cameras and say, see, this city is violent. See, people of color are the problem. Don't give them their footage. Give them truth. Record what you see. Expose injustice. Share the videos and let the world see what's really happening in our shelters, in our neighborhoods and in our streets.
(18:05)
I personally believe that what we are witnessing is a rehearsal for martial law, a test to see how far they can go before they push people to a place where people start pushing back.
(18:21)
So today I'm calling on every political official, every political leader, every faith leader, every community organization leader, every block club, every school, every business, every sector of our city, our state and our nation, come together now, not with fist, but with faith. Not with rage, but with righteous resolve. Not with fear, but with fortitude. And to the man in the highest office who says, Chicago is too violent, Mr. President, if you're looking to deploy resources and personnel, send them to where the real violence is coming from. And that is not our neighborhoods. It's in your White House. It is your administration. It is the corruption and lawlessness at the very top. And please begin with your own administration.
(19:12)
Chicago, the city of broad shoulders. Chicago, we've carried injustice before, but now we carry the hope of humanity. We will not be bullied. We will not be broken. We will not back down, because we believe that love, truth, and justice are stronger than hate, lies, and oppression.
(19:34)
May God bless every family affected by this injustice. And may God bless the great city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.
(19:44)
And now I'll proudly bring it to you all my colleague and my brother, who is on the front lines doing the work. Clap your hands for Alonzo Waheed.
Alonzo Waheed (20:08):
We are at trying times right now. Brothers and sisters, gone are the days where we said [inaudible 00:20:18], while the far-right authority ideologies run rampant destroying lives, dismantling families, and desecrating the very idea of freedom. We are witnessing civil rights and liberties being trampled on the boots that were meant to protect them. They call it security. I call it racial profiling.
(20:38)
Let me remind you, Chicago is not on the border. We are seeing our most vulnerable, our youth and our elders, zip-tied, thrown into U-hauls, treated like enemies in their own communities. We are seeing lies accepted as truth. Where our truth must fight just to be believed. We are seeing border agents choke out citizens and then say, it never happened. Understand this. They are not isolating this to one group. Today is them; tomorrow is you. Eventually they're coming for all of us.
(21:15)
Fear has been weaponized, hopelessness has been organized, and confusion has been their strategy. But let's make this clear. We are not confused. We are determined. We are organized. We are vigilant. We are Chicago.
(21:29)
And with this executive order, we draw the line. We declare that justice is not optional. That humanity is not negotiable. That freedom is not for sale. So those of you who use hate as policy, understand this, we will meet your lies with truth. We will meet your fear with courage. We will meet your division with unity. Because when Chicago stands together, no law, no hate can divide us. The days of silence are over. The days of action are here.
(22:09)
We'll now bring Yara to the podium.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
Good morning everyone.
Audience (22:12):
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
I'm Yara Lechuga. I'm an immigration organizer with Palenque LSNA. We are part of a rapid response network of volunteers, staff, and community members that represents the first line of community defense to keep us safe against ICE.
(22:37)
There are 35 teams throughout Chicago and Illinois doing this critical work every single day. Our work goes much further than documenting ICE during their attempts to adopt and separate our families. We are the ones who have to find the family members of those who have been abducted by ICE. We help to tow the cars that have been left abandoned after ICE kidnaps our community members, and we then go and speak with their family members to provide them answers and support.
(23:09)
We are the ones who go to areas of potential activity like Home Depots as early as 5:00 in the morning to be on watch. Our volunteers have been harassed, intimidated, and threatened with arrests by Home Depot security and the Chicago Police Department for simply trying to gather information on someone who was taken by ICE on their property.
(23:31)
Our network of volunteers, our community members, are getting tear-gassed by ICE agents as they try to document ICE abductions and for simply walking out of a grocery store. We are trying to keep our community safe while ICE breaks glass windows, points assault rifles at our people and choke holds our community members like we saw just outside of this building last week.
(23:55)
To date, federal enforcement and ICE has shot two people, killing one person, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez. They have also tear-gassed our neighborhoods, handcuffed and detained an elder person in an ER for asking for a warrant for a patient. Used Black Hawk helicopter and military tactics to invade an entire apartment building in South Shore, including zip-tying unclothed children. Choked a black man on the west side, body slammed our community members, and have disappeared people into Broadview Processing Center and have refused attorney's access.
(24:32)
They lied about Senor Villegas Gonzalez, sending an ICE agent to the hospital to justify his killing. They lied about ICE being blocked by a group of 10 cars in the Southwest side to justify increased aggression along Kedzie Avenue. They lied about whether they have legal warrants or not. They are terrorizing our people, our communities, and we know that they are escalating their violence on our community in retaliation of our community organizing. Our rapid response organizing is an important part of our resistance, but we need to do more. Resistance in this moment requires all of us to do everything in our power to push back and advance our collective safety. This means that all levels of government need to use every single tool at their disposal to disrupt their ability to kidnap, oppress, and terrorize everyone in our city and state.
(25:23)
That's why today's executive order by the mayor is a critical step and example of other elected officials to follow. This is also a call to action to every elected official in our city, counties, state and federal, and the Chicago Police Department to use every tool at their disposal to push back and resist.
(25:44)
We have two calls to action. First, if you believe you see ICE in your neighborhood, document from a safe distance. We need this evidence of what they are doing to our community members. If someone you know has been taken by ICE, please call the Family Support Hotline to connect their family
Speaker 5 (26:00):
… be impacted to legal help. The number is 1-855-435-7693.
(26:07)
Second, we need you to call your local city, county, and state officials and ask them what they are doing to keep us safe. While we are out here doing our jobs, we need everyone to step up and do theirs. This is what fighting for our collective safety looks like. Please join us. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
All right, move that out. Move it out. Move that out for me. Move it out. Thanks for everything.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (26:33):
Swatting away flies and ICE.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
No, no, no, no. That's not right. You need to move it over. That's in the shot. All right. All set? Can you move that?
Speaker 7 (26:33):
Whose side is it on?
Speaker 6 (26:33):
And moving, and moving, and moving, and moving.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (26:33):
There you go. Yes.
Speaker 6 (26:36):
Okay. Put the camera on it. Tap the extra. Yep, that one.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (26:58):
All right. We'll take questions.
Speaker 8 (27:01):
Testing. Okay, there we go. All right, we'll try to get to everyone. We'll do one question just to get through one if anyone wants to.
Speaker 10 (28:54):
Good morning, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (28:56):
Good morning.
Speaker 10 (28:58):
Are you concerned at all about legal challenges to this? I'm not quite sure what the precedent for allowing or not allowing federal officers on city property is.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (29:08):
Yeah, we're establishing that today. Look, we're living in unprecedented times, and it's going to take bold, clear action to push back against tyranny. What you see is a unified front of Black, Brown, white, Asian, young, old, faith community, community-based organizations, elected leaders from across the city that were clear that we do not want or need the militarized occupation of our city. And I'm going to use every single tool that's available to me to ensure that we maximize protection to the best of our abilities.
Speaker 9 (29:43):
Good morning, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (29:44):
Good morning.
Speaker 9 (29:44):
Can you confirm the reports that Chicago police were ordered to stand down when ICE agents were surrounded and rammed by cars?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (29:53):
No.
Speaker 9 (29:53):
And do you want Chicago police not to help ICE agents?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (29:57):
Our police officers respond to every single emergency in this city. The brave women and men who signed up to serve and protect this city are committed to keeping us safe. And what we have made very clear is to our welcoming city ordinance when it comes to civil immigration enforcement absent a warrant, our police department will not dub as federal ICE agents. In fact, we believe it's antithetical to driving violence down in the city of Chicago. When people call 911, we do not ask what their immigration status is. Right? And so, our police department will respond to every incident in which their services are needed to keep people safe. Protecting the fundamental right to be able to protest, ensuring the maximum safety of our residents, that is the top priority of our administration.
Speaker 9 (30:52):
Can you confirm though, were Chicago police told to stand down?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (30:55):
What I can confirm is that our police department responds to every single 911 call. When 911 is called and there's an emergency, our police department shows up as they've always done.
Speaker 13 (31:07):
Hi, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (31:07):
Hi.
Speaker 13 (31:09):
You just said, "We may be pushed if not forced to take even more dramatic action if this administration continues to escalate." What exactly does that mean from a city perspective?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (31:20):
Everything.
Speaker 13 (31:21):
Meaning?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (31:21):
Everything. Whatever is necessary to ensure that we're protecting people. Look, I've already signed, this is the third executive order, the most sweeping executive orders from any executive office pushing back against this administration. We are looking at every single way in which we can protect people, and as the coming days come forward, there are many ideas that have already been placed in our collective circle and I'm giving serious considerations around another potential executive order later this week.
Speaker 13 (31:52):
Can you give an example?
Speaker 8 (31:53):
No.
Speaker 14 (31:53):
Hi.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (32:02):
Hi.
Speaker 14 (32:02):
Good morning.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (32:02):
Good morning.
Speaker 14 (32:03):
So I'm looking at this sign here. What will happen if federal agents show up and say, "No, too bad"? Are Chicago police going to enforce the sign?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (32:15):
So if they are in violation, that's why we have our Department of Law. We are using every single tool that's available to us and that includes the legal and the justice system. What we have seen, that everything that this President has promulgated, whether it's his illegal taxes that have been deemed illegal or whether it's the fact that we've already seen a judge that he appointed said that he overreached when he tried to federalize troops to send them to Mayor Wilson in Portland. And so, we will use every… The reason why we have this in place so that if the federal government does violate, we do now have a precedent that we can establish to hold them accountable.
Speaker 8 (32:55):
Mariah.
Mariah (32:56):
Hi, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (32:56):
Hi.
Mariah (32:59):
Obviously, Chicago police are responsible for enforcing laws in the city. Are they going to be responsible for enforcing these ICE-free zones?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (33:06):
As I said before, it's not just policing. It also, it includes our department of law. If someone is in violation of the law, we'll take them to court.
Mariah (33:14):
But will it also include police? Like for the private businesses-
Mayor Brandon Johnson (33:17):
Everyone is responsible. For the private businesses, I'm encouraging many of them to volunteer to be a part of this collective action. Here's what's most important here. We know that this President is not interested in adhering to the law, so we're going to give him something to hold him accountable. And if he violates the law in the city of Chicago, we would do just that, hold him accountable.
Speaker 11 (33:40):
Hi, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (33:41):
Hi.
Speaker 11 (33:41):
I know you're going to talk about the Texas Guard, Illinois Guard, but can you give us a little bit about what your next steps could be to fight that?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (33:48):
Well look, our corporate counsel has been in constant communication with our Attorney General for several months now, and I just wanted to offer this up. A couple of years ago, I said very candidly that the Right Wing in this country wants a rematch of the Civil War. I want that to sit in right now, because the President of the United States of America has declared war on the people of Chicago and people across America.
Speaker 8 (34:18):
That's right.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (34:18):
He's more interested in giving billions of dollars to other nations while farmers in urban cities around this country are literally being destabilized. And so, whether it's the legal system, whether it's through executive order, or whether it's through the brave women and men who are serving as rapid responders, we literally have people who are volunteering in this city on the Southwest side, the Northwest side, all over this city to make sure that we're protecting children from being separated from their families. And we're talking about volunteers who are literally putting themselves at risk of being shot and killed by the federal government. And so, whether it's the legal system, whether it's our continuous struggle for liberation through organizing, and whether it's through executive action, or whether it's through law, it would be nice if we actually had lawmakers in Washington that would actually hold this President accountable. And if they won't do it, then the city of Chicago will using every single tool that's available to us.
Speaker 12 (35:32):
Mayor, just to speak to a previous question.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (35:35):
Which previous?
Speaker 12 (35:35):
I'm going to get to it.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (35:37):
Okay.
Speaker 12 (35:38):
Are Chicago police officers, does this executive order authorize Chicago police to make an arrest if federal officers violate the disorder? But the broader question too is also how are city agencies preparing for the expected deployment of National Guard, even if they're deployed, the broad view since that's outside city limits.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (35:54):
Well, we've been preparing for the deployment for months. It's why we relaunched the Know Your Rights campaign. It's why we put forth an executive order to ensure that all of our sister agencies as well as our city departments know exactly what to do in the event ICE agents or federal agents show up in our facilities or at our facilities. As far as the authority here, if the federal government violates this executive order, we will take them to court.
Speaker 12 (36:28):
But it doesn't explicitly authorize Chicago police to arrest federal officers violating. The idea seems to be to take them to court over a violation and establish that precedent. Am I understanding correctly?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (36:40):
You've done very well, sir.
Speaker 8 (36:42):
Jesse.
Jesse (36:45):
Thank you. Despite how difficult this fight be at this time, do you feel it's a good time? Do you feel it's important to share a message to the Latino community to try to remain calm so they don't fall into the trap of confrontation, especially after what we seen this weekend? We don't want to justify the President's intentions and we don't want to jeopardize anybody.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (37:11):
Yes.
Speaker 8 (37:12):
Go ahead, Tony, after him.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (37:18):
The Latino community has remained calm. And I'm grateful for all of the residents in this city that have remained calm during this very chaotic time. It's why he's escalating. Do you understand? When people are picking on you and you don't react, what do they do? They get angrier. This is proof positive that we have remained calm. At what point, at what point does our humanity and our democracy remain the most central focus here? Trump's federalized ICE personal military shot and killed someone. They shot someone else again just this past weekend.
(38:16)
And here's my message to the immigrant community. It's the message that I have for all of Chicago. We will use every single tool that is available to us to protect the dignity and the sanctity of our humanity, and that I'm calling on this President to leave us the freak alone. We haven't bothered anybody. We're talking about a city where our economy is rebounding, where violent crime is going down in the city of Chicago, where Black, Brown, Asian, white folks are coming together, standing up for working people. The last message I would offer up is I need our congressional delegation
Mayor Brandon Johnson (39:00):
… obligation to stand firm in this moment and not get distracted or weary. That's my message.
Speaker 15 (39:13):
Hi, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (39:15):
Hi.
Speaker 15 (39:15):
I wanted to ask a question, why should people feel safe with an executive order that feds have refused to respect the previous one you had about wearing masks, and we saw at that corner on the west side, there was a federal agent with masks on. So why should people feel safe with this particular executive order?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (39:30):
Well, let me just offer clarity. The executive order around masks was a direction to the local law enforcement. Now, of course, we are making recommendations to the federal government that they should not send masked men with long guns and point them into the faces of Black people and brown people. We would hope that our federal government would recognize the error of such a thing. In terms of feeling absolutely safe, look, there's no secret here that we are under threat right now. I'm not going to sit around and placate with people's emotions. Now, the one reason why I believe that we can feel safer in this moment, look at this stage. We're not alone. One of the most difficult things to do with when you're feeling threatened is when you're by yourself, when you're by yourself. There's not a Chicagoan that's by themselves right now.
(40:32)
It's not just an executive order. I'm talking about communities yesterday, 700, 400 people packing out rooms, organizing, preparing for this moment. If this was just something about executive orders, then I would concur that that would be not as thorough as we need to be. But this is just one action of many. And so, I want people to see the entire package of how we are providing support in this moment. I wish I could say emphatically, "Do not be afraid." What I can say though is, fear is not going to defeat the trauma that this president is trying to execute. Is going to take courage, it's going to take strength, and most of all it's going to take unity. And that's what we have here in Chicago.
Speaker 17 (41:21):
Hey, Mayor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (41:21):
Hi.
Speaker 17 (41:22):
What do you know about the timing of National Guard deployment and what do you want Chicagoans and police to do in response?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (41:29):
Well, look, this president has waffled in multiple occasions, which I believe is evident that we have been so emphatic in our position and resolved in our presentation that this president has attempted to find many different maneuvers to try to circumvent the power that we are establishing. Here's what the police department will do. They're going to protect our fundamental right to be able to peacefully assemble. They know that. They're going to make sure that we are not coordinating absent a warrant and forcing our local law enforcement to dub as federal ice agents. As far as the people of Chicago continue to stand firm, continue to document the rage that this administration is promulgating against the people of this city. And then I'm asking, of course, all of our elected officials, whether it's through executive order, through the passing of laws, to ensure that we maximize protection in this city.
Speaker 16 (42:28):
All right, last few questions.
Speaker 18 (42:31):
So one of the things I wonder, you talked about a lot of coordination with folks. Has your administration coordinated at all with Cook County State's Attorney's Office? And are there criminal charges that you would like to see her bring against these Ice agents for tear-gassing in the middle of the streets? And if you could just also clarify whether this is a civil or a criminal violation, if they ignore the [inaudible 00:42:59] On the criminal side of things with the State's Attorney's office, are you looking to have police bring charges, have her file charges related to any other kind of action?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (43:06):
I believe they should. I most certainly believe they should. And look, we are having conversations with multiple levels of a government. One, to make sure that we're not criminalizing protesters. Let's start there. And it's incumbent upon every single level of government to make sure that we're protecting the right to be peacefully assembled in Chicago, the state of Illinois, the county of Cook. We should not be carrying out the same level of indignity against the people of this country as this administration has done against American residents. And so, it works both ways. We should not criminalize the fundamental right to peacefully assemble, and when the federal government works outside of its constitutional authority, I do believe that law enforcement has a moral responsibility and obligation to hold those individuals and those systems accountable.
Speaker 16 (44:12):
Last question.
Speaker 19 (44:12):
Good morning.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (44:14):
Good morning.
Speaker 19 (44:15):
Can you specify if this executive orders are going to apply only to ICE agent or any federal agency that is supporting the immigration raids? Also, I know that you mentioned that if they [inaudible 00:44:29] they will be taken to court. But this administration has been taken to court since day one multiple times. Do you think that they're going to follow this executive order?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (44:42):
Well, do I believe this president is going to follow simple law? Well, it's clear that he doesn't, right? He's a convicted felon himself, right? This is the person who released individuals who stormed the Capitol to stage a coup against the American people and set those individuals free. This president has spent more time lining the pockets of the ultra-rich, militarizing his own police force than he has using his time in office to make sure that people can afford to eat in this city and across America or have access to healthcare.
(45:24)
And so, what we have seen though is that we have been quite effective across this country filing lawsuits. It's why there's a restraint and a restraining order against him right now in Portland. It's why most of his taxes that he has proposed have been deemed illegal. Now, look, as a former social studies teacher, I can tell you that we've had social movements before where government rejected the very tenets of our fight for justice. But clearly, when the people are united in our fight for justice, we always prevail. Whether it's today or tomorrow, the actions that we do today, I believe sets us up for real unity and liberation. And we're going to stay the course in Chicago regardless of the blowback or the pushback.
Speaker 19 (46:27):
And [inaudible 00:46:28] I'm sorry. Is this specifically for ICE agents?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (46:29):
Particularly, in terms of its operations to raid or to stage the ICE operations. Because look, here's the part that's so disappointing. As a local law enforcement department and as a city, we have cooperated with federal agents on a variety of matters, particularly getting illegal guns off the streets of Chicago. A few months ago, with cooperation with ATF, we removed over 170 illegal weapons that were trafficked in from states that voted for him. As our brother said, this president is concerned about the wrong border. If he was really serious about driving violence down across America, he would not allow the illegal trafficking of guns that are coming from states that voted for him to be spread throughout cities in America. And that's what our focus is going to be, is keeping people safe and making sure that we're protecting the humanity of every single resident of this city. Thank you.
Speaker 20 (47:34):
Hi.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (47:35):
Hi.
Speaker 20 (47:36):
[inaudible 00:47:36] last question. Just to be clear, if federal agents ignore this order, would this be a civil or criminal violation?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (47:42):
I'll have to get back with you on that one if you need that technicality. Okay? Well, but I can tell you this, it will definitely be a violation against local law, right? Just like a city ordinance. And so, we know that. Now, in terms of the ability to implement criminal standards, I will just say this, what we know for sure, if they are in violation of the law, we're going to hold them accountable. Thank you all very much. Thank you.
Speaker 16 (48:09):
Thank you all.