WASHINGTON — In her latest attempt to demonstrate that nothing says “law and order” quite like terrorizing immigrant communities, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Sunday that the Trump administration will expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Chicago.
Appearing on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Noem proudly declared that “more resources” will be sent to support existing ICE operations, which until now had tragically failed to break up enough families in the nation’s third-largest city.
“We’ve already had ongoing operations with ICE in Chicago… but we do intend to add more resources to those operations,” Noem said, pausing only briefly to avoid being asked how many puppies she would personally execute if it meant scoring political points.
The announcement comes days after DHS requested logistical support from Naval Station Great Lakes, a military base located about 35 miles north of Chicago, in what experts agree is the most logical step when your primary goal is to stop immigrant parents from walking their kids to school.
President Donald Trump, whose presidential brand thrives on threatening Democratic governors from the comfort of social media, added fuel to the plan by warning Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to “straighten out” crime in Chicago or prepare for federal intervention. Trump did not clarify whether “crime” referred to violent offenses or simply the offense of brown Americans existing in public.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. Pritzker pushed back, noting crime in the city has actually fallen. Both officials vowed to sue the administration, which in Trump’s America is considered the highest form of civic participation. Johnson also signed an order barring the Chicago Police Department from assisting with ICE patrols, checkpoints, or traffic stops — a decision critics claim could lead to immigrant families committing the crime of sharing holiday meals in peace.
Chicago, home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the U.S., has long maintained strict rules against cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. This tradition of compassion has repeatedly clashed with Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which continues to operate under the principle that no family should remain intact if the federal government can help it.
Noem defended the federal surge by pointing to Los Angeles, where Trump previously sent National Guard troops in response to immigration protests. “I do know that LA wouldn’t be standing today if President Trump hadn’t taken action,” Noem said. “That city would have burned if left to the devices of the mayor and governor.” Critics noted Los Angeles is, in fact, still standing, which might raise questions about whether Noem is confusing it with the pile of dogs she bragged about shooting earlier this year.
Pritzker, speaking on Face the Nation, suggested Trump’s real motivation may be to suppress elections in 2026. The theory is not far-fetched given that Trump has already made it clear his only acceptable election result is one in which he wins, preferably after being carried across the finish line by military force.
Ultimately, the expansion of ICE in Chicago represents the Trump-Noem brand of governance: protect animal cruelty, deflect from your party’s pedophile scandals, and make absolutely certain no immigrant family has the audacity to remain whole in the presence of federal power.
