In an article by Matt Finn on Fox news we are told that police in Chicago received formal instructions not to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security.
Officers were advised not to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security by the Chicago Police Department, particularly in situations involving immigration arrests. This was according to an internal department memo obtained by Fox News.
Instead of assisting DHS when they request assistance, officers are instructed to wait for their supervisor to arrive, the memo said. Once the supervisor arrives, “if the request is to assist with an immigration arrest or detention, CPD personnel will leave the scene as directed by the CPD supervisor,” according to the memo.
It was confirmed by the CPD that the memo came from an internal superior but would not say if the memo directive came from the mayor. There has been no response from the mayor’s office to requests for comment from Fox News.
According to Chicago police sources Chicago police officers have historically assisted federal agents and this new policy will put both CPD and DHS agents into potentially dangerous situations.
“See what happens when that happens and a DHS agent is injured because of a lack of response by CPD. Sickening what’s happening here,” a ranking CPD source told Fox News.
“You’ll not find a single real police officer that would refuse to assist another agency,” another law enforcement source told Fox News.
Chicago has been a sanctuary city under former Democrat Mayor Rahm Emanuel and is currently a sanctuary city under Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot. But this new directive goes a step further because it actually puts the directive in writing with instructions that DHS cannot be immediately assisted by Chicago’s police force.
Only in certain scenarios might DHS be able to request that the CPD give protection, manpower or assist in large raids.
Mayor Lightfoot, while at an immigration rally last week, said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has de-legitimized itself by being the “political arm” of the Trump campaign.
“We will never, ever succumb to the racist, xenophobic rhetoric of ICE,” Lightfoot said. “We will continue to ban ICE from having access to any CPD databases. We’ll not allow any CPD officer to cooperate with anything related to ICE and its immigration raids.”
According to Fox News’ Judge Andrew Napolitano, the city of Chicago is within its constitutional rights not to immediately assist DHS.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that a state or local government is free to refrain from enforcing federal law,” wrote Napolitano.
Fox News was told by the Chicago Police Department that its officers will aid a federal agent in danger but if they are asked to assist with an actual arrest, they will “advise and leave the scene.”
It was told to Fox News by Police sources that the new policy “de-legitimizes” Chicago police because it sends the message that officers will not respond to or pursue suspects in some immigration situations.
