After Chicago police were ordered to refuse requests for assistance by ICE agents who were under threat Saturday, the national and Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) organizations issued a joint statement condemning the order that left law enforcement officers in danger.
In the statement, National Fraternal Order of Police President Yoes and State Lodge President Southwood say they’re “shocked and appalled” by reports the Chicago police officers were ordered not to respond to a call for help when U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents had their vehicle rammed and blocked in by 10 vehicles.
The officers were then assaulted by protesters – including a woman wielding a semi-automatic weapon who ended up being shot during the attack.
“[I]t 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 appears to be an angry mob,” the FOP statement says. “We at the National FOB, as well as our members at the Illinois FOB condemn these actions.”
Helping fellow officers in danger is the “number one rule in law enforcement” – and politics should never stand in the way – the FOP presidents explain:
“Let me be clear, both the National FOB and the Illinois FOP believe that when an officer calls for assistance, you answer, no matter what.”
…
“The number one rule in law enforcement is that we respond to any calls from officers in distress.”
…
“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.”
Joint statement from National Fraternal Order of Police President Yoes and State Lodge President Southwood on the incident in Chicago with ICE agents. pic.twitter.com/Hc5hrZzqwZ
— Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (@IllinoisFOP) October 5, 2025
“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,” Yoes and Southwood note.
“Pritzker’s Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area. There is a growing crowd and we are deploying special operations to control the scene,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reported in a social media post as events were unfolding Saturday:
“This morning, during routine patrolling in Broadview, in the same area of Chicago that law enforcement were assaulted yesterday, our brave law enforcement officers were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.
“Agents were unable to move their vehicles and exited the car. One of the drivers who rammed the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. Law enforcement was forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed US citizen who drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds.
The armed woman was named in a @CBP intelligence bulletin last week for doxing agents and posting online ‘Hey to all my gang let’s f**k those mother f**kers up, don’t let them take anyone.’”
The order instructing Chicago police to deny the ICE officers’ request for help is substantiated by both text and audio of internal dispatch communications reviewed by Fox News.
“J.B. Pritzker is putting politics ahead of public safety." @TriciaOhio
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 6, 2025
When the brave men and women of law enforcement were under direct attack from anarchists in Chicago, @GovPritzker REFUSED to provide any backup.
The violence and dehumanization of the men and women who are… pic.twitter.com/lRWaUsL83L
