Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling has issued a blistering warning to radical activists and anti-border enforcement agitators.
His message was clear: If you play stupid games with law enforcement, you will win stupid prizes.
At a press conference on Monday, Snelling forcefully rejected social media posts alleging that Chicago police refused to help federal agents responding to violent situations last weekend.
Instead, he defended the role of federal law enforcement and clarified that attacks against them, whether local, state, or federal, constitute deadly force and can legitimately trigger an armed defensive response.
WTTW reported:
Snelling, who has not spoken about federal deployments in the city or across Illinois, said he has sought to “stay out of the politics of this,” but after hearing claims his officers did not respond to the calls for service, he felt it was necessary to “put all of that to rest.”
“My leadership team are not political pawns. Their lives are too important to play politics with these men and women who face danger every single day,” he said. “This is not a game, this is not a joke. This is still our city and we still have a responsibility to maintain safety and calm in our city.”
Snelling said none of his officers were seriously injured by the tear gas. He added that he’s spoken with federal leadership about the incidents, and that the feds were “extremely concerned” about the officers.
Despite those discussions, the superintendent maintained that his department abides by the Illinois TRUST Act — which restricts local law enforcement, including sheriffs, from cooperating with federal immigration agents — and does not collect or share residents’ immigration status.
But he also said his officers “cannot and will not” arrest federal agents conducting immigration enforcement operations in Chicago and implored residents not to interfere with those efforts.
Snelling laid out the reality of the situation for those who think they can harass federal agents with impunity. He specifically addressed the dangerous tactic of “boxing in” and ramming law enforcement vehicles, a favorite move of the radical left.
Snelling: Federal agents—ICE, HSI—are officers. They are agents of law enforcement. If you box them in with vehicles, it is reasonable for them to believe they are being ambushed and that this could end in a deadly situation. It is reasonable for them to use force based on those conditions.
Do not box in any law enforcement officer. You are breaking the law when you do that, and you are putting yourself in danger. Following law enforcement agents around raises the question: What are you planning to do? It is also reasonable for them to believe that you are eventually going to do harm to them.
If you ram any vehicle—especially one that contains law enforcement agents, whether local, state, federal, or county—and you do this intentionally, it is considered deadly force. Deadly force is anything that can cause great bodily harm or death. When you plow into a vehicle that contains law enforcement agents, you are using deadly force.
WATCH:
If only MN had handled it like this:
Chicago PD Superintendent Larry Snelling:
“Let me make this clear; agents, ICE, HSI, are officers, they are agents of law enforcement. If you box them in with vehicles, it is reasonable for them to believe, that they are being ambushed…” pic.twitter.com/SfhDae5pFe
— Farm Girl Carrie (@FarmGirlCarrie) January 8, 2026
Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.
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