Were Chicago Police Told To Stand Down Amid Attack On ICE Convoy? Leaked Dispatch Fuels Fury

Tensions between local and federal law enforcement erupted in Chicago over the weekend after a leaked dispatch message appeared to show that city police officers were ordered not to respond to Border Patrol agents who had called for help during a violent encounter.As first reported by Fox News, multiple federal and Chicago law enforcement sources confirmed that officers were instructed by the city’s Chief of Patrol not to intervene after agents were boxed in by protesters following a ramming incident and shooting on the southwest side. The directive, reportedly sent through Chicago’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, read: “PLEASE CHIEF OF PATROL NO UNITS WILL RESPOND TO THIS… CALLER IS 1 OF APPROX 30 ARMED PATROL AGENTS (ICE) WHO ARE BEING SURROUNDED BY A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE REQUESTING CPD.” It appears this is the man who ordered @Chicago_Police officers NOT to assist ICE Agents in need of help this morning. Meet Patrol Chief Jon Hein. pic.twitter.com/3NkockaoLE— Hunter Eagleman™ (@Hunter_Eagleman) October 4, 2025 The incident unfolded on Saturday morning, when a convoy of federal agents was rammed by multiple vehicles near Brighton Park, where anti-ICE protesters had been gathering for several days. According to officials, nearly a dozen arrests were made after the crowd surrounded the agents.Police Deny Inaction Amid Mounting ScrutinyIn a statement released Sunday, the Chicago Police Department disputed claims that officers ignored the agents’ call for help. The department said its personnel “did in fact respond” to the scene to “maintain public safety and traffic control,” emphasising that federal authorities were leading the investigation into the shooting.“The Chicago Police Department will always respond to anyone who is being attacked or under the threat of physical harm,” the agency said, adding that supervisors determine the appropriate course of action in cases involving federal immigration enforcement.However, several sources cited by Fox News maintained that the initial CAD instruction represented a deliberate “non-response” order from the city’s command chain — a claim that could further strain relations between Chicago officials and federal agencies.Federal Agencies Condemn AttackDHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that one of the drivers involved in the ramming, identified as Marimar Martinez, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and was shot after agents were “forced to deploy defensive fire.” Martinez, described as a U.S. citizen, was reportedly linked to online posts calling for violence against federal agents.Another suspect, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, was later apprehended. No agents were seriously injured. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated that “the mission will not stop,” while the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois described the attack as “a serious assault on federal law enforcement.”Broader Tensions Over ‘Operation Midway Blitz’The clash comes amid heightened political tension following ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz, which targets undocumented offenders in sanctuary jurisdictions. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused the Trump administration of “unprecedented aggression against Illinois citizens,” escalating a war of words between state officials and Washington.DHS, meanwhile, labelled some demonstrators as “domestic terrorists,” alleging that agents were attacked with smoke, gas and projectiles. Ten arrests have now been confirmed since Friday, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.With both city and federal authorities defending their actions, the leaked dispatch has become a focal point of debate — one that highlights the growing fault line between sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement in Chicago.