House Speaker Johnson tours ICE facility, says Chicago mayor is 'on the wrong side of the law'
House Speaker Mike Johnson called out Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for opposing federal immigration enforcement, saying he was "on the wrong side of the law."
"I tell you what, they have a very difficult job in this deep blue territory with a mayor on the wrong side of the law," the Speaker said Wednesday on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" with Bill Hemmer and guest co-host Gillian Turner.
"They are doing everything they can, a patriotic duty," Speaker Johnson said, referring to his visit to a Chicago Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. "They are understaffed, overwhelmed with the workload trying to go after the dangerous criminal illegal aliens in the country, harming American citizens. The mayor of Chicago thinks it's an ill-conceived mission, that's madness."
Both Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Johnson have spoken out against Trump's immigration enforcement efforts.
"We do know ICE is coming once again in force to cities across the country, so we expect to see them in Chicago," Pritzker said Thursday. "I don't know exactly how big the force will be, but I do know he has used other law enforcement along with ICE to carry out his ill-conceived mission to go after people who frankly are paying taxes, and they're law-abiding, and they've been here for many, many years."
Mayor Johnson said Monday that Trump should not deploy federal troops to enforce federal immigration priorities.
"We will continue to resist," he said. "Whether it's in the courts, in the streets, or through public policy, we're going to stand up for working people."
The City of Chicago has allowed in over 51,000 illegal immigrants from the southern border since August 31, 2022.
Speaker Johnson addressed Trump's "big, beautiful bill" — a measure to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and provide new funding for the border and defense — which passed the House on May 22 and is now in the Senate.
"We're working on the one big beautiful bill to allow them the resources that are desperately needed," he said.
"I mean, they are doing the job. The border is secured. We are locked down. We're not allowing illegals into the country anymore. But the enforcement and removal of the dangerous people who got here is an essential task for our ICE agents and officers to take care of. They need more personnel, they need more facilities. We're here to see it," the Speaker added.
He also said that the legislation will give annual $10,000 bonuses over the next four years to ICE and Border Patrol agents "for the people on the front lines," echoing a statement from the White House.
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