Chicago alders clash on ICE-police call data
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Despite the rancor between Alds. Ray Lopez and Andre Vasquez, they remained friendly enough to pose for a cordial dugout picture at a Sunday Alders vs. Cops charity softball game. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Chicago alders are butting heads over the release of communication data between cops and federal agents during last month's immigration enforcement action in the South Loop.
The big picture: Ald. Andre Vasquez, who chairs the committee on immigration and refugee rights, believes the data will clarify what happened and help shape guidelines on how CPD should act as immigration apprehensions — of mostly noncriminals — continue across the city.
- But some conservative alders think it's a waste of time.
Context: State and city laws prohibit CPD cooperation with ICE agents unless they present a signed criminal warrant.
- Some immigrant advocates say CPD officers violated those laws last month when they performed traffic and crowd control at the South Loop scene.
- But CPD says officers responded to the calls for assistance, assessed the situation and left soon after.
Catch up quick: Earlier this month, Vasquez's immigration committee held hearings on the June 4 incident and advanced an ordinance demanding more information.
- Alds. Anthony Napolitano and Ray Lopez delayed a full council vote on the ordinance until at least September during last week's council meeting.
The intrigue: We caught up with the alders Sunday in the dugout at a charity softball game against cops and asked Lopez why he stalled the data seeking measure.
- "Because it sucked," he told Axios. "We have real issues, and spending countless hours putting together information about an event that practically was staged is not something that I think our police should be focusing on."
The other side: "It was more unprecedented than staged," Vasquez responded.
- "It would be asking the inspector general and [the Civilian Office of Police Accountability] to do most of the work, and it's really just getting information because even if cops made every possible right call, we still need to know and learn from what happened. We just want to find out what 'right' looks like and what should be done next time."
Zoom out: The call for more clarity on CPD-ICE interactions happens at a time when the federal agency prepares to "flood the zone" in New York City, and Sen. Dick Durbin says the Trump administration fired Chicago immigration judge Jennifer Peyton for talking to him.
What's next: Vasquez is calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to release the data without the need for an ordinance.
- "Given the urgency of the moment … it is crucial that the administration make this information accessible," Vasquez wrote in his latest newsletter.
- The mayor's office says it's in the process of sharing the call logs.