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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson accused the Trump administration of 'zip-tying' black babies in the middle of the night in a bizarre rebuke of its ICE crackdown. Johnson, the Democrat leader of the sanctuary city, raged against the White House for its 'dangerous, racist and nasty' actions amid a step-up in deportations in Chicago. 'No one is going to convince me that what the Trump administration is doing against black people and brown people can ever be justified,' Johnson said. 'It is racist when you have black babies being thrown in the back of vans, zip-tied in the middle of the night, and masked men sticking guns in the faces of black and brown people. 'That is nasty, is vicious, is racist.' It is unclear which event Johnson was referring to when alleging ICE agents zip-tied black babies and threw them into vans. The Daily Mail has contacted his office for clarification. However, his remarks come as a lawsuit in Chicago accused the Trump administration of unlawfully arresting at least three US citizens in a raid at the end of September, reports the Chicago Sun Times. Last week, federal agents also sparked backlash after allegedly deploying tear-gas onto a street just moments before a local kids' Halloween parade. Amid the escalating ICE activity in his city, Johnson has become a frequent Trump critic, including accusing the president of wanting to ignite a 'Civil War' rematch earlier this month. In his press conference, the mayor also invoked Martin Luther King as he continued: 'Dr. King described it as an evil, militarism in that formation is an evil.' 'Dehumanizing people is dangerous, because what it does is it opens up viciousness. 'If they're not seen as human beings, then whatever you do against them can be justified.' The Democratic mayor has repeatedly attacked the Trump administration and has vowed to oppose its deportation efforts, including ordering local officials to not co-operate with ICE earlier this year. In August, Johnson signed an executive order outlining guidelines for Chicago's agencies and police department 'in the midst of escalating threats from the federal government.' The executive order also said Chicago law enforcement will not, 'collaborate with federal agents on joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or other law enforcement duties including civil immigration enforcement.' The mayor's executive order directs local officials to, 'pursue all available legal and legislative avenues to resist coordinated efforts from the federal government'. 'We may see militarized immigration enforcement. We may also see National Guard troops. We may even see active duty military and armed vehicles in our streets,' Johnson said before signing the order. 'We have not called for this. Our people have not asked for this, but nevertheless, we find ourselves having to respond to this.' Johnson's executive order also 'urges' local law enforcement, 'to refrain from wearing masks, to wear and use body cameras and to identify themselves to members of the public with names and badge numbers.' Actors Jack Black and John Cusack were spotted at the rallies. Notable politicians, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Raphael Warnock, Senator Chris Murphy, and Governor JB Pritzker, also addressed the crowds. Cusack told CNN at a rally in Chicago: 'No, you [Trump] can’t put troops on our streets. You can’t create enough chaos to invoke the Insurrection Act so you can stay in power. We all know what your plan is.' Earlier this month, Johnson also captured headlines as he made a controversial speech during Chicago's 'No Kings' day rallies. Johnson told the crowd to be 'ready to defend this democracy' and to be 'ready to fight fascism.' 'Are you prepared to destroy authoritarianism once and for all? We’ll let the world hear you, no kings!' he said in an impassioned address. He warned Chicago residents to be prepared for a 'rematch of the Civil War.' 'The attempt to divide and conquer this nation will not prevail because when the people are united, justice always prevails,' he said. 'If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do the same today.
