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Immigration ​

Johnson Signs Executive Order Targeting Federal Agent Misconduct ​

Mayor Brandon Johnson signed Executive Order 2026-01 on Friday, directing the Chicago Police Department to investigate and document alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents—making Chicago the first city in the nation to create such an accountability framework.

"Nobody is above the law," Johnson said. "There is no such thing as 'absolute immunity' in America."

Under the order, CPD officers must:

  • Document federal enforcement activities and preserve body-camera footage
  • Record the credentials of federal supervisory officers
  • Complete reports on any state or local law violations
  • Summon emergency medical services for injured persons
  • Share aggregated data on documented violations publicly

Evidence of felony violations will be referred to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for prosecution.

The order follows Chicago's January 12 lawsuit alongside Attorney General Kwame Raoul, alleging that CBP and ICE agents have committed unlawful actions during their operations in the city—including a fatal shooting, another person shot five times, and a raid on a South Shore apartment building that detained all residents, including children.

A federal consent decree prohibiting ICE from arresting people without warrants or probable cause—the 2022 Castañon Nava decree—expires February 2. The timing adds urgency to the city's efforts to establish alternative accountability mechanisms.

Meanwhile, uncertainty persists about the future of federal enforcement in the area. The number of agents deployed under "Operation Midway Blitz" has dwindled since fall, but a DHS source told the Sun-Times that up to 1,000 agents—four times the fall deployment—could return in March.

Today marks the first day of February, and with it the Under-21 portion of the hemp products ban takes effect. The broader ban follows April 1—the same day Chicago's citywide ADU ordinance begins. Bloom Plant Based Kitchen continues its final weeks in Wicker Park through February 21.