“If the federal government will not hold these rogue actors accountable, then Chicago will do everything in our power to bring these agents to justice.” — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
There comes a point when euphemisms fail us. What ICE has done in Chicago and Minneapolis is not mere “overreach.” Agents did not make “missteps” or “tactical errors.” These are clear, documented violations of the law and abuses of power that have endangered the lives of American citizens — and they demand a forceful reckoning. State and local leaders in Illinois and Minnesota have been forced into a role that should shame the federal government: defending the Constitution against the very agents sworn to uphold it.
In Chicago, a federal judge confirmed what communities have been shouting for years: ICE repeatedly conducted warrantless arrests in violation of a court-ordered consent decree, blatantly disregarding the most basic protections of the Fourth Amendment. These arrests were not accidents or technical mistakes — they were part of a pattern of unlawful detentions carried out by an agency operating with impunity.
In Minnesota, federal agents went even further — storming homes without warrants, conducting stops without legal justification, and seizing people who had no criminal records, including children and U.S. citizens. These are illegal acts, full stop. Legal analyses make clear that ICE ignored the limits of its own authority.
And then came the deaths: Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis — killings that shocked the conscience of the nation and ignited statewide protests. These tragedies did not occur in isolation; they happened amid an operation so sweeping and unrestrained that Minnesota’s governor called it an “occupation.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker saw Operation Midway Blitz for what it was: an unannounced, militarized federal intrusion into his state. He immediately began preparing legal action against the Trump administration over its deployment of ICE and Border Patrol agents into Chicago communities.
But Pritzker didn’t stop at rhetoric. House Bill 1312 would create “safe zones,” ban ICE from courthouse arrests, and allow residents to sue federal agents who violate their constitutional rights — a direct challenge to what critics describe as ICE’s culture of impunity.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz confronted the federal government head-on, calling the ICE surge “a campaign of organized brutality” and demanding it end immediately. Walz condemned the indiscriminate stops, home intrusions, and fear inflicted on families, saying the operation caused generational trauma, economic disruption, and profound civic harm.
These are not the words of timid officials. These are the words of leaders who believe their communities are under assault.
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson did what the federal government has refused to do: move to hold rogue federal agents accountable. His “ICE On Notice” executive order requires Chicago police to document alleged illegal ICE activity, secure body-camera evidence, and report potential violations of state and local law.
Johnson’s message is unambiguous: If the federal government does not restrain its own agents, Chicago will act within its authority.
In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey has been equally direct, calling for a nationwide end to what he described as an “ICE siege” and condemning the agency for transforming his city into the epicenter of what he views as an unconstitutional crackdown. Frey cited shuttered businesses, fearful families, and the deaths of two community members.
This is what constitutional leadership looks like.
Let’s be clear: ICE did not enforce the law — it violated it. It terrorized communities, conducted illegal operations, and left devastation in its wake.
And when federal leadership failed to deliver accountability, state and local officials — Pritzker, Walz, Johnson, and Frey — stepped forward.
America needs more leaders willing to confront federal power with clarity and resolve. Because if constitutional rights can be compromised in Chicago and Minneapolis today, they can be compromised in any American city tomorrow.
Marc Morial is National Urban League president and CEO.