Mayor Brandon Johnson is advocating for the Chicago Police Accountability office to gain explicit authority to investigate allegations of collaboration between the Chicago Police Department and federal immigration agents. This initiative comes in response to the public outcry following a significant incident on June 4, when Chicago police were present during an immigration raid at a South Loop office.
The push for these changes stems from an internal inquiry conducted by the mayor’s office, led by Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights, Beatriz Ponce de León. The inquiry revealed concerns about the police department’s role during the raid, particularly amid complaints that no thorough review had taken place nearly two months after the event.
The findings were compiled in a brief report released on Friday, which emphasizes that the review does not serve as a substitute for an independent investigation. During a recent conversation, Ponce de León indicated that the recommendations made in the report may not have altered the police’s actions on that day.
A specific area of contention has arisen between the Office of Inspector General and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) over which entity should be responsible for investigating the police’s interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The mayor’s office has suggested amendments to COPA’s ordinance to clarify its authority to investigate potential violations of the Welcoming City Ordinance by the police department.
Ponce de León stated that this clarity would be beneficial, as it would inform the public regarding the complaint process and establish a way for individuals to report any concerns they might have.
The police department’s involvement in the June 4 immigration raid drew ire from local alderpersons and immigration advocates, who accused the department of facilitating federal immigration enforcement. The police maintained that their presence was merely to assist with crowd control during protests against the raids.
On that day, federal agents detained at least 10 individuals as they arrived for routine immigration check-ins, while community members gathered to protest these detainments. Chicago police were deployed for crowd control, defending their presence as necessary to manage the protests, which varied in size from 20 to 40 attendees spilling into the streets.
Ald. Andre Vasquez expressed frustration over the lack of timely information regarding the police’s role in the event, although he acknowledged the proposed changes to grant more power to COPA as a positive step forward. However, he remarked on the sluggish pace at which this information has been forthcoming, noting his requests for bodycam footage, transcripts, and 911 call records remain unfulfilled.
The police officials had indicated that they were responding to 911 calls from an ICE worker, the Department of Homeland Security, and a police department internal monitoring unit when attending to the situation at the federal raid. The internal review noted a significant gap in the dispatch processes, highlighting that the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) does not currently provide adequate contextual details during police dispatch.
Ponce de León highlighted that certain 911 calls did not explicitly clarify they originated from ICE agents. The report recommends that OEMC dispatchers consult supervisors for guidance whenever they determine that a request involves potential immigration enforcement, with trained supervisors assessing potential violations of the Welcoming City Ordinance.
Although Ponce de León noted the new protocols might not influence whether the police responded, they could potentially change the on-ground dynamics — who responds and how many officers are dispatched. The inquiry also called for the mayor’s office to take a more proactive role in managing communications, resource allocation, and transparency, especially during community concerns surrounding immigration issues at future federal raids.
The review further emphasized the need for the police department to conduct formal internal reviews within 30 days of any incidents involving federal immigration enforcement, as no such review had been initiated at the time of the mayor’s office inquiry.
As discussions continue about the provisions of oversight and authority, the community awaits the changes that could reshape the interplay between the Chicago Police Department and federal immigration enforcement practices.
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