Ex-police chief warns Chicago cops will get hurt because Mayor Johnson won't help ICE
'What's happening in Chicago and actually the state of Illinois, but I'll talk to you about Chicago, is they're under orders from the mayor not to cooperate with ICE. In fact, he famously said that the Chicago Police Department will never assist ICE, even if it's constitutionally required,' Tom Weitzel, who was chief of police in Riverside, Illinois, told Fox News Digital.
Weitzel served as police chief in the Chicago suburb, less than an hour outside the city, from January 2008 to May 2021.
In July, Johnson vowed that his city's police 'will not ever cooperate with ICE.' He also recently called ICE raids 'terrorism,' and described Trump's America as looking like 'if the Confederacy won.'
'He's had his city attorneys go and brief the administrative staff or Chicago PD, and then they're going to roll call to tell their officers how they cannot assist,' Weitzel said. 'And the dangerous thing with that is that he's telling them to never assist. So even when ICE would need more police officers because they're under attack, they're being assaulted, maybe they're being battered. He's directed his police department to not cooperate, which is unheard of. I've actually never heard of that.'
4 Immigrants detained by Federal Agents are put into a van outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office where ICE had detained people on June 4, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Washington Post via Getty Images
4 Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson speaks during the 2027 Chicago All-Star Game Announcement before a game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 01, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
Getty Images
The retired police chief said he thinks morale among law enforcement in the city is low.
'And morale is terrible because the media keeps slamming them,' Weitzel continued. 'You have the local politicians slamming the police, and you have the mayor, the chief of the whole government for the city of Chicago. He, if anyone thinks he supports police or policing, they are crazy. The mayor is about as anti-police as they come. And you know, nobody should be surprised because he ran on that campaign, and he got elected.'
Chicago has seen over 51,000 illegal immigrants from the southern border settle into the city since August 31, 2022.
4 Tom Weitzel, former chief of police in Riverside, Illinois.
Riverside Police
4 Federal agents hold back protesters while removing detainees on June 4, 2025, from a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago's South Loop.
TNS
'As someone who spent 37 years in law enforcement, starting out as a patrol officer for the Chicago Zoological Park Police, in Brookfield, Illinois, and holding various other positions in law enforcement, including being a detective sergeant, patrol sergeant, assistant chief of police, acting chief of police, and finally, chief of police,' Weitzel said he is concerned for the well-being of the Chicago PD.
'They're going to get police officers hurt, not only ICE agents, federal agents, but local police that are going to be injured, because I can tell you that when there's an attack on them that you've seen that, throughout the country, that some of their caravans have been attacked, the local police are coming to help,' he said.
Weitzel added that, 'Regardless of what the mayor says, and those officers are there not to do ICE enforcement or federal enforcement, they're there to assist ICE and prevent them from getting injured. So you're going to see his own local police officers be injured in the line of duty because of a completely stupid statement like they will never assist ICE.'
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
15 minutes ago
- The Hill
Envelopes with white powder found in NY federal ICE facility
Envelopes with white powder were discovered Thursday in New York City in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, according to the Big Apple's Mayor Eric Adams. 'New Yorkers, I have been preliminarily briefed on the matter unfolding at 26 Federal Plaza where envelopes containing white powder were discovered,' Adams said in a Thursday post on social media platform X. 'I want to also reassure you that there are no known injuries at this time.' Adams said that while officials are awaiting test results from 'our federal partners,' New York City Fire Department hazmat teams are on the ground to 'ensure the safety of everyone inside and outside of the building.' The New York City Fire Department (NYCFD) told The Hill that a call was received around 3:55 p.m. local time regarding a white powder reported on the ninth floor. The building was evacuated and there were no reported injuries, according to NYCFD. 'Hazmat assigned, operations ongoing,' the department added. New York City Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry said on X that local and federal officials are investigating the incident. 'I have personally briefed @nycmayor Adams and The Deputy Mayor for Administration Camille Joseph Varlack in regard to the circumstances. The investigation is ongoing. Expect increased presence and temporary closures,' Daughtry said in a post on X. 'Please avoid the area and follow official channels for verified updates.' The Hill has reached out to ICE's New York Field Office for comment. The conditions of the ICE facility, in downtown Manhattan, have sparked alarms from civil rights groups and protests took place in front of the building last week. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered ICE to improve conditions of the facility for the migrants held there, with civil rights organizations arguing the individuals are not provided sufficient access to counsel and medication, along with dealing with extreme temperatures. The Justice Department acknowledged migrants were only being given two meals per day and not provided with their medication or sleeping mats. But the federal government challenged other accusations, with the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin saying the Tuesday ruling will be appealed and claims of poor conditions are 'categorically false.' 'There seems to be quite a gap between the ICE standards, indeed, and what's really happening,' Kaplan said on Tuesday. The federal judge ordered ICE to deliver several items to migrants held there, upon request, including bedding mats, more blankets, clean clothing, feminine hygiene products and access to medicine.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Conservationists hail US judge's order to pause building at ‘Alligator Alcatraz' jail
A coalition of conservation groups has welcomed a federal judge's ruling on Thursday that halts construction work on the immigration jail in the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz. US district judge Kathleen Williams ordered workers to stop adding any new paving, infrastructure or ground filling at the remote tented detention camp that the Trump administration intends to use to eventually hold 3,000 immigrants awaiting deportation. Her verbal ruling, which she said would be reinforced by a written restraining order later on Thursday, will be in effect for two weeks while attorneys argue whether the construction of the camp broke environmental rules. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) can continue to operate the camp and hold detainees there, Williams said, pending the resolution of the lawsuit's claims that the project threatens fragile wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals, and will reverse billions of dollars' worth of environmental restoration. 'It's a relief that the court has stepped in to protect the Everglades' sensitive waters, starry skies and vulnerable creatures from further harm while we continue our case,' said Elise Bennett, attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'We're ready to press forward and put a stop to this despicable plan for good.' The lawsuit, filed in Miami district court by an alliance including the Friends of the Everglades, Earthjustice and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, is challenging only the environmental impact of the jail, which opened last month after a high-visibility visit by Donald Trump. A separate lawsuit brought by civil rights groups says detainees' constitutional rights are being violated. They claim they are barred from meeting lawyers and are being held without charges, and that a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings. A hearing in that case is scheduled for 18 August. In addition to facing legal proceedings, the opening of Alligator Alcatraz has been greeted by a wave of outrage by Democrats, some of whom toured the facility last month and decried 'inhumane' conditions inside, including detainees held in cages, flooding from heavy rain, non-functioning toilets, broken air conditioning and swarms of mosquitoes. It was later also revealed that despite Trump's assurances that the jail was reserved for 'deranged psychopaths' and 'some of the most vicious people on the planet', hundreds of detainees had no criminal records or active charges against them. The lawsuit claims the detention facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa), which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of major construction projects. Jesse Panuccio, attorney for the state of Florida, said during the hearing that although the detention center would be holding federal detainees, the construction and operation of the facility was entirely under the state of Florida, meaning the Nepa review would not apply. His argument appeared not to sway Williams, who said the project was at a minimum a joint partnership between the state and federal government, and that anything built at the site would probably remain there permanently, regardless of how the case was ultimately decided. The plaintiffs presented witnesses on Wednesday and Thursday in support of the injunction, while attorneys for the state and federal government are scheduled to present their case next week. Talbert Cypress, chair of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, said he welcomed the decision to halt construction on and around the Big Cypress preserve, the group's traditional tribal homelands. 'The detention facility threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive but sacred to our people,' he said. 'While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand for our culture, our sovereignty and the Everglades.' The Associated Press contributed to this article
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
ICE field office in NYC evacuated after envelopes with suspicious white powder discovered
Envelopes containing a suspicious white powder were discovered at New York's Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Manhattan Thursday afternoon – prompting first responders to evacuate the federal building, according to authorities. Fire officials responded to 26 Federal Plaza near Foley Square around 3:55 p.m. after receiving reports the mysterious substance was found in room 936 on the 9th floor of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building, the FDNY confirmed. Officials are still awaiting test results on the suspicious white powder. Getty Images Advertisement The building has since been evacuated as hazmat teams investigate and there are no reported injuries. 'New Yorkers, I have been preliminarily briefed on the matter unfolding at 26 Federal Plaza where envelopes containing white powder were discovered,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a post on X. Advertisement 'I want to also reassure you that there are no known injuries at this time.' Adams said test results are currently pending as the fire department's hazmat teams contain the scene. The investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
