CHICAGO — Officials across the political spectrum in Chicago are preparing for a showdown as President-elect Donald Trump's incoming border czar vows that the Midwest's largest city will become "ground zero" for mass deportations.

On one side, Lincoln United Methodist Church in the historically Hispanic community of Pilsen canceled in-person Spanish-language services to protect its congregation from potential immigration roundups or targeted hate crimes. Worshipers can still access services online.

"I think people are scared right now about what's going to happen with the new administration," said the Rev. Tanya Lozano Washington. “We are making every effort to explore every option to continue to protect our vulnerable community members.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are planning major enforcement actions against immigrants in the days after Trump takes office, according to NBC News and a person familiar with the matter. Incoming border czar Tom Homan said on Saturday the government had not yet "made a decision" after news of the planned operation began to leak.

Two sources with knowledge of the plans told NBC News on Sunday night that Chicago would not be the first city to begin mass evictions after the city's move was delayed (but not canceled) due to media leaks.

Still, in the early weeks of Trump's second term, Chicago's fight against illegal immigration threatens to become one of the fiercest nationwide and could be the epitome of an unprecedented level of immigration enforcement that It is one of the themes of Trump’s administration. 2024 Events.

Chicago is the nation's third-largest city and is run by Democrats, making it a natural foil for Trump's campaign promises to get tough on immigration. Republicans have long blasted it as a metropolitan area plagued by violent crime, although recent statistics show crime rates have been falling in towns across the United States.

In contrast to Lozano Washington and her church, conservatives welcomed Trump's promised crackdown after years of budget-busting immigration influx.

“This is absolutely unsustainable,” said Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, chairman of the county Republican Party. Cook County and Chicago each spent nearly $1 billion to deal with the influx.

Morrison praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, for raising awareness about border security issues by transporting migrants to major cities across the country, including Chicago.

"If he hadn't done that, I don't know that the dynamic we're experiencing today would exist," Morrison said.

The issue has proven politically dangerous even for centrist politicians. Last week, the City Council sparked a debate over a proposal to water down Chicago’s sanctuary city ordinance that protects undocumented immigrants. It voted 39-11 to block a vote on an amendment proposed by City Councilmembers Raymond Lopez and Silvana Tabares that would have allowed Chicago police The bureau works with federal immigration authorities on cases in which undocumented immigrants are arrested or convicted of certain crimes.

“The left is following people like me who are trying to find the middle ground,” Lopez, a Democrat, said in an interview. "Because I don't want Donald Trump to be an enemy for the next four years trying to win reelection. I'm trying to protect people in the community."

Under the Welcome City Ordinance, Chicago police are prohibited from asking people about their immigration status or cooperating with any federal immigration enforcement efforts.

After the proposal to curtail the policy failed, Mayor Brandon Johnson lamented that "fear has emerged in the city of Chicago due to threats issued by the incoming administration." Chicagoans can rest assured that the government will fully to protect the residents of the city. "

Critics of Lopez's proposal say it's unclear how certain crimes would be specifically defined and that the proposal would raise due process issues.

"They lied to the public to further their own political agenda," he said.

Lopez's meeting with incoming border czar Homan drew the ire of Democrats on the political left.

"I think we're on the same page: If he gets the opportunity to focus on criminal elements, that's enough to keep him busy for the next four years," Lopez said.

Homan has repeatedly criticized Chicago leaders, and the war of words escalated after Trump was re-elected. He believes that Democrats are the reason why Chicago is in "trouble."

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded to Homan's threat at a press conference last month.

"We have laws that protect undocumented immigrants, and we will abide by them. I'm concerned that the Trump administration and his lackeys do not," Pritzker said, though he also added that "people who are undocumented and convicted of violent crimes are not violent criminals should be deported."

Since Trump last took office, Illinois has furthered its efforts to protect people without legal status by strengthening the TRUST Act, which sets out broad guidelines limiting law enforcement agencies across the state from assisting in matters related to federal civil immigration laws. .

Morrison, a Republican county commissioner, argued the sanctuary policy violated federal law and undermined state sovereignty.

"I do think there's going to be a showdown here," he said.