Chicago expected to be ground zero for Trump's deportation efforts

[January 21, 2025]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Chicago is expected to be ground zero for President Donald Trump’s deportation strategy.

After taking the oath of office Monday, Trump said securing the border and deporting illegal immigrants will be paramount.

“First, I will declare a national emergency at the southern border,” Trump said at his first address to the nation for his second nonconsecutive term.

Trump said all illegal entry will immediately be halted.

“And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump said.

In a statement about his “America First Priorities,” the president’s office said Trump is suspending refugee resettlement and having the Armed Forces, including the National Guard, engage in border security efforts.

Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has said Chicago will be a priority in the deportation efforts.

Prominent Illinois Democrats like Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Schaumburg, released statements with tips for non-citizen migrants in the state on how to handle immigration officials. They also provided phone numbers to get legal assistance.

“Every resident of Illinois should know their rights,” Pritzker said on X. “I intend to protect those rights and ensure our state laws are followed.”

“I will never stop working to protect the rights of my constituents,” Duckworth said on X. “If you or your loved ones are confronted by a police officer or immigration agent, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.”

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said in a statement Monday, “today is a new day in America.”

“Because of this historic election, we are a nation filled with hope for a more safe and prosperous future,” said LaHood. “Under President Trump, we will restore our economy, secure our border, protect American national security, and promote peace through strength.”

During his inauguration speech, Trump said the “golden age of America begins now.”

“We will be a rich nation again and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it,” Trump said.

The Trump administration said it will be “streamlining permitting, and reviewing for rescission all regulations that impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.”

President Donal Trump delivers his inauguration address Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States - Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

“President Trump will declare an energy emergency and use all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure,” the office said. “President Trump’s energy policies will end leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers.”

After the inauguration ceremony, Trump announced he will take action for certain Jan. 6 defendants. He also called the Jan. 6 Select Committee, pardoned by Biden Monday, “political thugs.”

“They destroyed and deleted all of that information that went on for almost two years against Trump and the reason they did is because it was all false,” Trump said.

Former Republican Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger was on that panel. Trump called Kinzinger a “crier.”

Kinzinger re-posted on X a statement from the Democrat-led committee responding to Biden’s pardon of the committee members, expressing “gratitude” for the pardon.

“These are indeed ‘extraordinary circumstances’ when public servants are pardoned to prevent false prosecution,” the letter said. “We are not deterred, we have never been deterred, and we will never be deterred by threats of criminal violence or criminal prosecution, and we are encouraged greatly for the future of the rule of law by the existence of the Constitution's sweeping Speech and Debate Clause as well as this general pardon by President Biden of our Committee and its excellent staff.”

Biden's final action, reportedly happening amid Trump's inauguration ceremony, included preemptively pardoning his brother, Jim, and other family members.

"My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me – the worst kind of partisan politics," Biden said in a statement.

Trump's office said the Trump administration will take “swift action to end the weaponization of government against political rivals.” Orders issued include preserving all documents and ending unconstitutional censorship by the federal government.