(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, and Chris Southwood, President of the Illinois State FOP lodge, were shocked and appalled at reports coming out of Chicago that commanding officers barred local law enforcement from assisting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer while he was surrounded by a group of protestors.
“Details are still emerging, but it appears that officers from the Chicago Police Department were ordered not to assist a group of ICE agents while they were physically threatened by what appeared to be an angry mob,” Yoes said. “Let me be clear, both the National FOP and the Illinois FOP believe that when an officer calls for assistance, you answer, no matter what.”
The Trust Act is an Illinois State Law that generally prohibits local law enforcement agencies in Illinois from participating in immigration enforcement. According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents have faced a 1000-percent increase in violence since the start of the year. Government officials in Chicago, which classifies itself as a sanctuary city, have repeatedly pushed back against ICE operations, leading to a breakdown of local and Federal cooperation.
“The number one unwritten rule in law enforcement is that we respond to any calls from officers in distress,” Southwood said. “What would have happened if the local police were facing threats and nearby federal officers were told not to assist? Whether you agree about immigration enforcement or not, when a law enforcement officer is in trouble, nothing should stand in the way of fellow officers rendering assistance.”
“Now more than ever, police officers need to band together in order to protect our brothers and sisters who wear the badge,” Yoes said. “We at the National FOP, as well as our members at the Illinois FOP, condemn these actions and urge Chicago officials to ensure that any law enforcement officer needing assistance is guaranteed that their brothers and sisters in law enforcement respond expeditiously.”
