TRUMP 2.0: Fear Tactics and Sanctuary City Showdowns Start Again
It is Day 3 of President Donald Trump’s second administration, and the immigration raids promised on Day 1 have not materialized. However, this didn’t stop the administration from making statements that struck fear into the hearts of immigrant communities in the United States. While the raids have not started, the Trump administration is singling out certain cities—including Sanctuary Cities—as higher priorities, including Denver, San Antonio, and Chicago. Here’s what we know so far.
The Trump administration is out talking about potential raids and sowing fear in communities
The Trump administration’s border czar, Tom Homan, made it clear that immigration raids would be a priority starting this week. In an interview with Fox News, Homan reassured the host that the move to start the raids was in full swing.
“ICE teams are out there today,” Homan said during the interview. “We gave them the directive to prioritize public safety threats. It’s what we’re looking for. We’ve been working up a target list. There was some discussion about Chicago because a specific operational plan was released. So, we had to look at and reevaluate: Does this raise officer safety concerns? And it does. But, we’ve addressed that.”
The threat of immigration raids has so far focused on a handful of cities, with Chicago being one of the first mentioned. According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 400,000 undocumented people were living in Illinois in 2022.
Why is Chicago a big target for the Trump immigration agenda
Illinois has been promoting itself as a safe state for immigrants, refugees, and undocumented people for almost a decade. In 2017, the state passed the TRUST Act, clarifying the language regarding local law enforcement working with federal immigration enforcement. The act made Illinois a sanctuary state and offered protections for undocumented people living there. The law specifically blocked local law enforcement from detaining or continuing to detain some based solely on complying with immigration proceedings or warrants.
In 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed four bills into law that strengthened the TRUST Act. The laws signed would “require local officials to end partnerships with ICE, address hate crimes against immigrant communities, expand workplace protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and create the Illinois Immigration Impact Task Force to ensure state programs and policies best serve immigrant residents,” reads a statement from the Gov. Pritzker’s office.
Sanctuary cities and states have been in President Trump’s sight for years
President Trump’s focus on sanctuary cities is not new. During his first term, President Trump often threatened sanctuary cities for creating hurdles to his immigration policies. The president’s first term was filled with mass detention, family separation at the southern border, and the continual threats and uncertainty of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
In his second term, he campaigned on the promise of being more aggressive on immigration. Many states and cities have worked to safeguard their communities and undocumented people in their jurisdictions in the face of the new administration. California announced a $50 million fund to challenge the Trump administration in court and protect undocumented people living in the state.
