Chicago’s Top Cop: ICE Is Law Enforcement
Social media is full of bad advice right now. Posts claim ICE agents aren’t real cops. They say people don’t have to obey them. That’s false. Dangerous and false.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling spoke clearly after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in what officials described as self-defense. He didn’t hedge. He called ICE personnel what they are: sworn law enforcement officers who must be treated as such.
Snelling explained why officers can fear for their lives when they’re boxed in. “If you box them in with vehicles, it is reasonable for them to believe that they are being ambushed,” he said. When federal agents feel trapped, things can go sideways fast. In those tense moments, officers are justified in using force in self-defense.
He also warned people not to interfere with law enforcement actions. “You are breaking the law when you do that, and you are putting yourself in danger,” he said. Following officers and crowding them can make them see you as a threat. That’s not drama. That’s real risk.
Snelling was blunt about vehicles used as weapons. “Deadly force is anything that can cause great bodily harm or death. When you plow into a vehicle that contains law enforcement agents, you’re using deadly force.” Driving into an officer is not protest. It’s a federal crime.
Here’s the legal reality. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law-enforcement agency inside DHS. ICE agents carry badges and have arrest authority under Title 8 and Title 18 of the U.S. Code. They do criminal investigations. They execute warrants. They work with the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, and local police. They’re trained at Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. These are career federal officers, not volunteers or contractors.
Some online claims hinge on confusion about civil immigration rules and criminal law. Yes, U.S. citizens don’t commit immigration violations. No, that doesn’t make citizens immune to federal law. ICE can arrest someone for federal crimes, execute search and arrest warrants, and detain people if reasonable suspicion exists. Assaulting, resisting, obstructing, or interfering with a federal officer is a crime—regardless of citizenship.
Refusing lawful commands during a stop or investigation can lead to obstruction charges. Calls to treat ICE like civilians or to resist federal agents are not just wrong. They’re dangerous and could bring serious federal penalties. Political disagreement over immigration policy doesn’t erase statutes, court rulings, or decades of precedent.
The public debate in Chicago has split officials. Mayor Johnson issued an “ICE-free zone” executive order banning federal agents from using city property and urged charges against any federal agents who violate it, saying “anyone who commits a crime should be charged.” That position conflicts with Snelling’s practical stance. As Snelling put it, Chicago police “will not and cannot arrest federal agents because someone deems what they are doing is illegal.”
Snelling’s message is simple and urgent: don’t interfere. Don’t box in officers. Don’t turn protest into ambush. Violence and obstruction only make situations worse and can lead to federal charges. If you disagree with immigration policy, vote, lobby, and speak out. Don’t put people’s lives at risk.