CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed a second executive order designed to protect the rights of city residents protesting the increased presence of federal immigration enforcement officers as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Midway Blitz” operation, which began in earnest last week.
Johnson signed the “Right to Protest” executive order on Tuesday, which the mayor’s office indicates seeks to protect the right to free speech of city residents. The order comes on the heels of the Democrat signing a sweeping “Protecting Chicago Initiative” in late August.
Tuesday’s executive order ensures that city residents will be protected by the Chicago Police Department while Chicagoans are “taking appropriate measures” to preserve public safety, even “in the face of interference from the federal government”, city officials said.
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“Today, we proclaim that all residents and visitors can peacefully assemble, petition their government, and speak freely in our city,” Johnson said in a released statement. “This executive action is about being proactive so that we are prepared for any possible large-scale demonstration in response to the increasingly reckless federal government.”
Johnson said that his executive order, which is largely symbolic, will ensure that public protest will remain “a vital and protected part of civic life in Chicago.”
Specifically, the order directs Chicago police officers to collaborate with protest organizers to develop a mutually acceptable alternative plan if federal law enforcement disrupts lawful acts of public protest. That contingency plan could include changing the location of a planned protest.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, left, and Chicago mMyor Brandon Johnson listen during a baseball news conference, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Chicago, announcing that the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field will host the 2027 All-Star Game. (AP Photo/Andrew Seligman)
Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have rallied against the Trump administration’s plans to deploy federal immigration enforcement officers and agents, along with the National Guard, to Chicago. Johnson said Tuesday’s executive order safeguards the constitutional rights of those who publicly protest the presence of federal officers and militarized troops.
Johnson said that the order was signed in response to “the troubling use of force” by federal law enforcement against residents who were protesting outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in suburban Broadview last week. Clashes between protesters and officers assigned to the processing center have continued since DHS officials announced “Operation Midway Blitz” last week.
Johnson cited past peaceful protests in Chicago that were held successfully with minimal federal intervention, including last summer, when the city hosted the Democratic National Convention. Johnson said that because previous protests have not led to widespread trouble, the city has proven that local leaders are best equipped to protect free speech rights while ensuring public safety.
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Johnson signed the executive order one day after Trump said that he would send the National Guard to Chicago “probably next” after announcing deployment of troops to Memphis. Trump told reporters on Monday that although he preferred to have the cooperation of local leaders like Johnson and Pritzker, their opposition ultimately “wouldn’t matter” to the administration.
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Trump said that although city and state leaders have been vocal in opposing his deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, he said that city police officers welcomed the presence of troops. Trump added, “(city officers) have no respect for the governor, they have no respect for the mayor. They respect us.”
On Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his plans for Chicago, again singling out Pritzker.
“So I’m going to Chicago early, against Pritzker,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. “Pritzker is nothing. “If Pritzker was smart, he’d say, ‘Please come in.’”
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Trump had previously signaled that he would send the National Guard to Chicago immediately after an operation ended in Washington, DC. But the president then announced plans on Friday to send the guard to Memphis, citing a lack of cooperation from Pritzker and others. But on Monday, Trump again put Chicago in play.
Asked about Trump’s comments on Tuesday, Prtizker said that he “can’t take anything that (Trump) says seriously from one day to the next.”
“He’s attacking verbally. Sometimes he attacks, sending his agents in. Sometimes he forgets. I think he might be suffering from some dementia,” Pritzker told reporters. “You know, the next day, he will wake up on the other side of the bed and stop talking about Chicago. So, I have never really counted on anything that he said as real when he said that he wasn’t coming to Chicago, I didn’t trust that. When he says he is coming to Chicago, it’s hard to believe anything he says.”
