Judicial Watch Sues Chicago Mayor for Records on Pledge to Resist Trump’s Mass Deportation Efforts

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it sued Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for records regarding his vow to resist the Trump administration’s mass deportation and other immigration law enforcement activities (Judicial Watch Inc. v. Office of the Mayor (No. 2025-CH-00347)).

On November 11, 2024, the mayor held a press conference at which he stated that Chicago would remain a so-called “sanctuary city” and that city officials “will continue to shield all immigrants in Chicago from federal agents, regardless of whether they are citizens, permanent residents or asylum seekers, despite the election of President-elect Donald Trump.”

According to a WTTW News report, Mayor Johnson said he “was prepared to fight any effort to stop federal funds from flowing to Chicago because it will not cooperate with mass deportation efforts, and would work to stop the arrival of immigration agents.”

“We will not bend or break,” Johnson said. “Our values will remain strong and firm. We will face likely hurdles in our work over the next four years but we will not be stopped and we will not go back.”

The firm Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman filed the lawsuit on behalf of Judicial Watch in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County Department Chancery Division after the mayor’s office failed to adequately respond to a November 27, 2024, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records or communications of Mayor Johnson or his designated representative about plans or preparations to resist federal efforts to enforce immigration laws or not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations.

The new Trump Justice Department initiated a policy directing federal prosecutors to investigate and consider prosecuting “resistance, obstruction, and other non-compliance with lawful immigration-related commands and requests from federal authorities.” Fox News reported last month that since August 2022 Chicago spent $574.5 million on sheltering migrants.

“Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced himself and his city government to be outlaws on illegal immigration as they plan to help illegal aliens resist the rule of law,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Sure enough, this scandal is worsened by the evident cover-up of the full scope of Mayor Johnson’s lawlessness, which Judicial Watch aims to remedy with our open records lawsuit.”

Judicial Watch is being assisted by attorney Christine Svenson of Palatine, Illinois.

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