Trump border czar Tom Homan said Thursday that the administration was preparing to send a “large contingent” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Chicago while ramping up immigration enforcement operations in “sanctuary cities” across the country.
“You’re going to see a ramp-up of operations in Chicago, absolutely. You’re going to see a ramp-up of operations in New York. You’re going to see a ramp up of operations continuing in LA, Portland, Seattle, all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE,” Homan told reporters during a press briefing.
These so-called “sanctuary cities” have policies in place that limit collaboration between local police and federal immigration agents, and Homan has previously said that they’ll specifically be targeted as the Trump administration tries to increase the number of deportations it’s conducting.
“Sanctuary cities are now our priority. We’re going to flood the zone,” Homan said in a press conference in July.
Homan’s statements come as a CNN report suggested that Chicago will be the site of the administration’s next big immigration enforcement push, which could come as soon as next week.
According to two sources who spoke to CNN, armored vehicles and federal agents are surging into the city to kick off a major operation by Sept. 5.
The publication noted that White House officials described this effort as distinct from Trump’s threats to send in the National Guard to engage in a purported crackdown on crime in the city.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Homan also said that talks were being held about using a naval base near Chicago to assist with ICE operations.
“There’s discussions about that, yes,” he told reporters.
The harrowing effects of a heightened ICE presence have already been evident in cities like Los Angeles, where there’s been a surge in workplace raids and arrests. At least two men have died from injuries they sustained while fleeing immigration agents.
“These reckless, unlawful raids are fueled by racial profiling that has driven fear in communities, tearing families apart, crushing entire sectors of the economy,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has said.