ICE Targets Chicago Police Officers in High-Profile Recruitment Drive

(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched an aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at Chicago Police Department officers, deepening a clash over federal immigration enforcement in one of the nation’s most prominent sanctuary cities. Since August and intensifying through mid-September 2025, ICE has rolled out television ads across Chicago and nearby suburbs that call on “disgruntled or retiring” CPD officers to join federal ranks, even as City Hall stands firm against cooperation with immigration raids. The immediate goal is clear: draw experienced local officers into federal roles to staff widening operations in Chicago and other major U.S. cities following policy shifts revived under President Trump.

The ad’s language is blunt and pointed. “Attention, Chicago law enforcement, you took an oath to protect and serve… But in sanctuary cities, you are ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free. Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst.” It’s an open appeal to officers who feel constrained by local policy limits on immigration enforcement. It’s also a direct challenge to Chicago’s leadership and a bid to poach from a police department that has struggled with staffing in recent years.

ICE has paired the message with money: a reported $50,000 signing bonus for transfer recruits in Chicago and select cities. According to internal tallies shared with media and researchers, the campaign has drawn around 18,000 job applications nationwide since it began.

Who ICE is Recruiting and Why

• Target audiences: CPD officers, retirement-eligible veterans, and agents from other federal services (FBI, DEA, ATF).
• Incentives: $50,000 signing bonus, federal benefits, and mission-driven appeals.
• Scale: A Cato Institute-cited analysis indicates more than 25,000 officers have transferred into immigration enforcement roles nationwide as the administration scales up street-level operations.

Former CPD leaders say the pitch may appeal to older officers drawn by federal benefits. They warn, however, that life inside ICE can include frequent moves, weeks-long deployments, and assignment shifts that may not suit officers seeking stability near home.

Recent Enforcement Activity: “Midway Blitz”

ICE intensified operations in Chicago with a “Midway Blitz” on September 8. Over a two-week span agents:

• Arrested more than 400 people
  • Roughly half were targeted arrests
  • The remainder were collateral arrests — individuals not on an initial target list but detained during operations because they lacked legal status

This practice of collateral arrests had been largely curtailed under the prior administration but returned in 2025. Federal officials argue sanctuary limits force them to make street or home arrests because transfers from local jails are blocked. City leaders counter that these tactics create fear, sweep up longtime residents and mixed-status families, and risk mistakes — including detaining U.S. citizens.

City and State Responses

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker have pushed back:

• Mayor Johnson’s executive order
  • Bars CPD from aiding ICE with raids, detentions, or information sharing
  • Requires CPD officers to wear uniforms and not masks so the public can distinguish local police from federal agents
  • Directs city departments to refuse participation in operations that conflict with the sanctuary ordinance
• Governor Pritzker
  • Has aligned with City Hall on legal and policy responses
  • Declares Illinois will not act as an arm of civil immigration enforcement

Federal officials say they’re not stepping back. The administration has warned it could send National Guard troops to Chicago to support federal control — though no deployment has occurred yet. ICE leaders also said there is “no end date in sight” for operations in the city.

Blockquote: Key takeaway

ICE has made a sustained, multi-pronged push — ads, bonuses, policy changes — to draw local and federal officers into immigration roles, even as Chicago’s leadership strengthens legal and operational barriers to cooperation.

Recruitment Mechanics and Career Path

ICE’s campaign uses several levers:

• Age rule change: In August, ICE removed its maximum age limit for new officers, allowing older CPD veterans (even in their 60s) to apply if they meet fitness and background standards.
• Application process: Standard federal path
  1. Apply online
  2. Undergo background checks
  3. Complete physical fitness test
  4. If selected, enter training at the ICE Academy
• Possible assignments: Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) or Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
• Deployment realities:
  • Temporary reassignment to other cities or border zones is possible
  • Some deployments can last up to 179 days
  • Candidates must secure a federal security clearance

HSI offers investigative work on complex criminal cases, while ERO involves arrests and removals, including at-large operations that have driven recent controversies in Chicago.

Tensions for CPD Officers Considering Transfer

Former CPD leaders and officers note trade-offs:

• Pros
  • Attractive bonuses and federal benefits
  • Opportunity for mission-driven work
• Cons
  • Frequent reassignments and extended deployments
  • Disruption to family life and neighborhood-based policing
  • Potential loss of community ties and local stability

A former CPD detective described the decision as a trade: a big bonus and a federal badge on one side, a familiar beat and daily ties to Chicago on the other.

Policy Shifts and Community Effects

• The reinstatement of collateral arrests has broadened who may be detained during raids, increasing fear across immigrant neighborhoods.
• Advocates say these tactics reduce trust in law enforcement and deter crime reporting and witness cooperation.
• City leaders argue that local policing should remain focused on violent crime, not civil immigration enforcement.

Legal scholars say Chicago’s executive order creates guardrails intended to prevent confusion during concurrent operations by multiple agencies and to preserve community trust.

Practical Community Impacts

• Reports of increased fear-driven behavior:
  • Students missing school
  • Fewer clinic visits
  • People skipping court dates unrelated to immigration out of fear
• Legal aid demand has surged, especially after the “Midway Blitz.”
• Grassroots responses:
  • Neighborhood hotlines
  • “Know-your-rights” sessions
  • Legal clinics in multiple languages

Legal guidance commonly emphasized:
– Ask for a judicially signed warrant before allowing entry in most cases
– Understand that civil immigration warrants differ from criminal warrants

Wider Implications for Local Policing

• If federal agencies successfully recruit many senior officers, local departments could face:
  • Senior-level staffing gaps
  • Increased overtime
  • Strained specialty units
  • Loss of mentorship and lower case-clearance rates

Policy experts note training matters: ICE’s pipeline can onboard recruits quickly, but building the specialized skills needed for HSI investigations or safe large-scale operations takes time.

What Officials Are Preparing For

• Continued ICE operations in Chicago with no set end date
• Ongoing recruitment efforts
• Potential legal battles over sanctuary policies, preemption, and federal authority
• Possible National Guard involvement remains a political threat, if not yet realized

Local steps to preserve routine life:
– Schools conducting outreach to reassure parents
– Hospitals reminding families that care is provided regardless of status
– City departments promoting legal aid clinics and community information sessions

Numbers and the Human Reality

• Midway Blitz: hundreds arrested in two weeks
• Recruitment: tens of thousands of applicants and transfers reported across federal agencies
• These figures translate into everyday effects: early-morning arrests in apartment hallways, disrupted school drop-offs, crowded bond-court sessions, and changes in CPD roll calls.

What Prospective Applicants and Residents Should Know

• For officers:
  • Weigh federal benefits and mission against family impacts and loss of neighborhood policing
  • Consider deployment expectations (up to 179 days) and the need for a federal security clearance
• For residents and families:
  • Make emergency plans and identify trusted guardians
  • Keep important documents accessible
  • Attend local “know-your-rights” sessions and legal clinics

For prospective applicants exploring federal opportunities, the government’s official career portal is the starting point. It outlines eligibility, training, and the application path for roles in ERO and HSI, including the recent removal of the age cap. Candidates can apply, track status, and review deployment expectations there. The site also describes the clearance process and the fitness standards that older applicants will need to meet. To learn more about federal hiring requirements and updates on open roles in immigration enforcement, visit the official ICE Careers page.

Bottom line and outlook

• The clash in Chicago is a national test of how sanctuary cities respond under sustained federal pressure.
• If ICE’s recruitment campaign pulls a notable share of CPD officers into federal roles, Chicago could experience erosion in local policing capacity and community ties.
• If the city maintains its staffing and legal stance, the fight will continue in streets and courts, with community groups trying to shield families from fallout.
• Training, legal rulings, and political decisions in the coming months will determine how sharply the divide affects public safety and community trust.

The story will continue to evolve — in arrest totals, recruitment numbers, and court challenges — but the human realities are immediate: officers weighing futures, families making contingency plans, and neighborhoods adapting to a changed enforcement landscape.