FBI’s Patel defends Chicago immigration enforcement role amid resistance

Exclusive: While the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts face continued resistance in Chicago, FBI Director Kash Patel passionately defended the bureau’s supportive role in the Windy City, telling Fox News Digital that agents are “just doing their job to protect the streets.”

Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche were on the ground touring the Chicago field office Tuesday morning and explaining why the FBI needed to “diversify resources” to assist the Department of Homeland Security.

“The environment here in Chicago needs a focused effort, not only to crush violent crime, but also to remove illegal aliens associated with that violent crime,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “This is the result of years of failure in the previous administration’s policies to allow a large number of illegal aliens and a lot of criminal activity to occur here in Chicago, in the state of Illinois.”

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While immigration enforcement is not a typical part of the FBI’s job, Patel said “every three-letter agency” in the Trump administration is “moving toward the same mission.” He described the coordinated campaign as a “whole-of-government approach.”

Patel added that the mission goes beyond immigration enforcement, and also touches on drug distribution, government officials who are suddenly targeted for death, and clients whose lives are in danger.

Patel praised the efforts of the Chicago Police Department’s officers, calling them “great partners” and saying “they do their job with us every day.” However, he drew a stark contrast between the base and their superiors.

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks during a press conference amid reports of federal deployments in Chicago on September 2, 2025. (Camille Krazaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

“But they report to the elected leadership,” he said. “And I believe it is our duty to call out those who prioritize illegal immigrants and crime over those they serve in the city they are supposed to protect. So I will call him out as long as it takes.”

President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops to protect federal officials and property in Chicago have already been taken to court.

Deputy U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel spoke to Fox News Digital during their visit to Chicago. (Screenshot/Fox News Digital)

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But Blanche said it’s clear the Guard is needed to help clean up Chicago’s crime-ridden streets.

“I mean, at this point, it’s almost laughable that the state government is standing up and saying, ‘Don’t let the National Guard in,'” Blanche said. “I mean they have access to the same television that I have access to. And of course, we need the National Guard.”