NICK SHIRLEY
An ICE agent has spoken out against Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, accusing them of shielding criminals and putting federal agents—and the public—at risk.
In a recent interview, the agent explained that the refusal of local officials to cooperate with ICE has made arrests significantly more dangerous. By directing citizens to “hit record” during immigration enforcement operations, the agent said, many residents escalate encounters by interfering in arrests.
“Unfortunately, it makes our job even harder,” the ICE agent stated. “The safety level [is] higher, elevated, with the threats we’re dealing with in the community, because everybody thinks they can help stop enforcement, trying to hinder our arrests. It’s not stopping—it’s just another element where we have to fight the community as well.”
The agent argued that while local leaders accuse ICE of putting immigrant lives at risk, their own policies are exposing law enforcement officers to added threats.
“Not only [are] our lives at risk, but it’s putting the general public at risk as well,” the agent said. “Since the mayor doesn’t want to cooperate with ICE, he’s hiding the people who have criminal records. With his actions, it’s helping them hide in the community, so therefore it makes our job even harder.”
The agent added that when citizens are encouraged to record ICE operations up close, the line between observation and interference becomes blurred:
“It’s fine to record, but when you come at arm’s length, that makes us a little bit in danger, because now we don’t know if you’ve got a weapon, we don’t know your motive.”
Critics argue that sanctuary-style policies in cities like Chicago allow undocumented immigrants with criminal records to avoid detection, while law enforcement officers face heightened hostility during enforcement operations.
The ICE agent summed it up bluntly: elected officials are prioritizing illegal immigrants over the safety of federal agents and communities.
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