A Chicago dispatcher allegedly told officers to “clear out” and not assist an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who called for help after being threatened by ICE protestors this week, according to several reports. The incident has sparked outrage among law enforcement veterans and federal officials.
The National News Desk (TNND) obtained audio of the Oct. 4 dispatch, which was later broadcast by ABC 13 News, in which an ICE agent requested backup after being run off the road by a protester. The dispatcher is heard telling officers to “clear out,” saying, “We’re not responding over there.”
BREAKING:
Dispatch audio CONFIRMS Chicago police were ORDERED not to assist Federal Agents that were cornered earlier today in Chicago.
Agents were ACTIVELY IN ROUTE when the order was given.
Dispatcher initially seemed slightly taken back by the order, but promptly… pic.twitter.com/0pRTyp7PxZ
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) October 5, 2025
According to TNND, the computer-aided dispatch message from Chicago’s chief of patrol read: “PLEASE CHIEF OF PATROL NO UNITS WILL RESPOND TO THIS AS RELATED FROM 04-Oc5-2025/12:28:55…CALLER IS 1 OF APPROX 30 ARMED PATROL AGENTS (ICE) WHO ARE BEING SURROUNDED BY A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE REQUESTING CPD.”
Former Chicago Police Superintendent and retired FBI special agent Jody Weis criticized the response, saying officers eventually arrived but not until more than an hour later.
“Law enforcement agents call for help, and the Chicago Police Department didn’t respond to that immediately. Now, to be fair, they did respond. One hour and ten minutes later,” Weis told TNND.
Weis claimed that when police were finally instructed to respond to the call, they were told not to wear gas masks or helmets to avoid appearing intimidating. Officers were later hit with chemical agents that were being deployed by ICE.
The Chicago Police Department said in a statement to FOX News about the issue: “To clarify misinformation currently circulating, CPD officers did in fact respond to the shooting scene involving federal authorities on Saturday to maintain public safety and traffic control.”
Leaders of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Illinois State FOP expressed alarm at reports of the delayed response.
“Details are still emerging, but it 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 appeared to be an angry mob,” National FOP President Patrick Yoes said in an Oct. 6 press release. “Let me be clear, both the National FOP and the Illinois FOP believe that when an officer calls for assistance, you answer, no matter what.”
The FOP noted Department of Homeland Security data showing that violence against ICE agents has risen by roughly 1,000% since the start of 2025.
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