Chicago’s progressive playbook hit a fresh low Wednesday as Mayor Brandon Johnson proudly rolled out a city snowplow emblazoned with the slogan “Abolish ICE” — a move that’s already igniting outrage given the grim headlines hanging over the city.
The kicker? The rollout came less than a week after the shocking killing of a local college student, allegedly at the hands of a man authorities say was in the country illegally.
The controversial name wasn’t some backroom brainstorm — it emerged from the city’s “You Name a Plow” contest, where roughly 13,000 submissions poured in. Out of all those entries, City Hall landed on a slogan synonymous with progressive calls to dismantle federal immigration enforcement.
Standing in front of a hulking salt dome like it was a campaign stage, Johnson leaned into the moment.
“This name derives from our city’s legacy of standing up for justice, dignity and the rights of all people, no matter where they come from,” he declared.
“I want to take this moment to reiterate that Chicago does not want ICE on our streets, in our airports, nor in our city. Chicago believes in abolishing ICE.”
For those keeping score at home, “Abolish ICE” isn’t just a quirky plow nickname — it’s a full-blown political slogan pushed by activists and left-leaning politicians who want to scrap U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement altogether.
Johnson, no stranger to that camp, has repeatedly taken aim at federal immigration policies. Just recently, he blasted the presence of ICE agents at airports — including Chicago’s O’Hare — where they’ve been assisting TSA operations.
But the timing of Wednesday’s snowplow spectacle is what’s turning heads.
Days earlier, Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman was killed in a case that’s rattled the community. Authorities say the suspect, 25-year-old Jose Medina, is a Venezuelan national who crossed into the U.S. in 2023 and was later released. When pressed about whether the tragedy should’ve prompted a pause — or at least a rethink — of the event, Johnson didn’t flinch.
“This is a terrible tragedy,” he said. “This tragedy is not going to deter us from our work. In fact, it’s going to challenge us all to double down on our efforts to ensure that we are protecting every single individual across neighborhoods.”
That answer didn’t sit well with critics — including Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, who has long sounded the alarm on the city’s sanctuary policies. Calling the killing “100% avoidable,” Lopez pointed the finger squarely at leadership decisions.
“The culmination of the choices made here in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois to protect noncitizens even when they choose to engage in dangerous criminal behavior, that mindset has to change,” he said during a TV appearance.
“That mindset has to stop because Sheridan and the other 1,200 other individuals across this country who’ve been victims … victimized by noncitizens deserved to be honored in a change in mindset and law.”
In a city already grappling with crime concerns, critics say the optics couldn’t be worse: a mayor celebrating a politically charged slogan while residents are still reeling from a brutal loss.
Welcome to Chicago — where even the snowplows come with an agenda.
Another murder by an illegal immigrant, and THIS is what the mayor wants to promote; ABOLISH ICE snowplows. What a slap in the face to Americans. pic.twitter.com/SnHgbnF4fe
— thedailybs w/ Snerdley (@thedailybs_Bo) March 26, 2026
