Suburban Chicago Police Chief Escalates War of Words Against ICE and President Trump

The suburban village of Broadview, Illinois — a Chicago-area community long known for its progressive leadership — is now at the center of a growing standoff with federal immigration authorities and the Trump administration.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson and Police Chief Thomas Mills accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of “endangering” residents during ongoing enforcement operations. Acting Fire Chief Matt Martin joined the event, framing federal law enforcement as the aggressors rather than the demonstrators who have repeatedly clashed with ICE officers outside the facility.

“The relentless deployment of tear gas, pepper spray and mace at the ICE facility is endangering nearby village residents, harming police officers, harming firefighters and American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights,” Thompson claimed.

Chief Mills took the rhetoric further, threatening to remove the fencing ICE installed around its facility — barriers meant to maintain security and prevent violent protesters from overrunning the property. Mills suggested using “heavy machinery” to dismantle the federal barriers, accusing ICE of creating “a dangerous situation for the community.”

“We are experiencing an immediate public safety crisis,” Mills said. “The deployment of tear gas, pepper spray, mace, and rubber bullets by ICE near the processing center in the village of Broadview is creating a dangerous situation for the community.”

“This is not Putin’s Russia,” Mayor Thompson added. “This is America.”

The combative comments drew swift attention from Washington. President Donald J. Trump ordered ICE and federal officers to use the “full force” of their authority to protect personnel and facilities after reports of violent confrontations at immigration sites nationwide. According to federal data, attacks against ICE officers have risen more than 800 percent in the past year.

Meanwhile, Broadview officials announced plans to open “criminal investigations” — not against violent agitators, but against ICE agents themselves. Mills alleged that federal officers fired pepper balls at a journalist, struck demonstrators with vehicles, and caused property damage. He provided no evidence to substantiate the claims.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, sided with the protesters, echoing left-wing activists who have gathered outside the Broadview facility. Local authorities admitted that the demonstrations have repeatedly grown hostile and obstructive to federal operations, but stopped short of condemning them.

While local leaders appear more concerned with scoring political points, federal agents have continued their mission. ICE and Homeland Security officials confirmed that Operation Midway Blitz — a Trump administration enforcement initiative — has removed more than 800 dangerous criminals from Chicago’s streets since its launch.

Just weeks ago, federal agents arrested Michael Stover, 33, of Downers Grove, for making violent threats against ICE officers and senior U.S. officials. Prosecutors say Stover used social media to call for armed attacks against government personnel, including the president.

“The us president just said he wants to purpose build concentration camps for his political enemies,” Stover allegedly wrote online. “Its war right here and now against this attacker or we die in slavery. Put down your posters and selfie sticks and pick up a weapon!”

Stover was arrested in a suburban parking lot and charged with a felony count of making true threats against immigration and public officials. Investigators said he had previously posted photos showing rifle bullets labeled with the names of prominent political figures, placed atop two knives.

The FBI’s National Threat Operations Center had been monitoring his activity for months and ultimately alerted the U.S. Secret Service, which opened a formal investigation in May.

As the situation escalates, the clash between President Trump’s law-and-order administration and Illinois’ left-wing leadership highlights a widening divide over immigration enforcement — one where local politics increasingly stand in defiance of federal authority.