Chicago mayor demands companies reveal whether leaders ‘reflect diversity’ for city contracts
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on Wednesday requiring city contractors to disclose information about leadership diversity demographics, as well as report whether they have any ties to certain law enforcement agencies such as ICE, as he moves to use the city's purchasing power to impose new contracting standards.
Johnson said workplace data was necessary to identify discrimination and criticized the Trump administration's efforts to end federal reporting requirements.
"If you want to do business with this city, we want to know whether the people leading your company reflect the diversity of the communities whose tax dollars are paying your contracts," Johnson said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Johnson of punishing American companies for assisting federal immigration enforcement.
DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED BY DHS FOR 'HUNTING DOWN' PROPERTY OWNERS LEASING TO ICE: 'UNHINGED'
"If Mayor Johnson wants to lecture anyone about taxpayer dollars, remember what he is: a sanctuary politician who bullies American companies with money that isn’t his. Chicago takes the federal check, but it won’t enforce the federal law," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Sunday.
"In case Chicago’s mayor forgot, an oath of office is a commitment to upholding the law, not encouraging criminal illegal aliens to break it," they added.
"Make no mistake, we will not be deterred. Under President Trump, ICE will keep enforcing the law in Chicago, whether City Hall likes it or not," the spokesperson said.
The Chicago mayor unveiled the order during a press conference at Arise Chicago, a nonprofit that works to protect immigrants' rights. Johnson framed the order as a response to corporate influence in Washington and said Chicago would use city spending to put its values into practice.
The order also directs Chicago's chief procurement officer to develop rules within 90 days barring vendors found to have committed public integrity, workplace discrimination or wage theft violations during the previous five years.
Contractors must disclose whether they received more than $500,000 from government or law enforcement agencies or face proceedings alleging excessive force, unlawful detention, unconstitutional policing, discrimination or other civil rights violations.
Large private companies with corporate families reporting at least $1 billion in net income must provide information about leadership diversity, board composition and diversity policies when not already covered by Illinois reporting law.
Under the order, contractors must also report efforts to hire and promote formerly incarcerated people, and future awardees must update the disclosures at least annually.
Doing business with ICE alone is not listed as a disqualifying offense. The order also disqualifies firms for specified integrity, discrimination or wage theft violations while making the disclosures public.
Not With Our Money, the campaign that joined Johnson at the announcement, identified $3.19 billion in Chicago contractors held by 42 firms that also do business with ICE, according to the group's research.
Johnson was referring to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proposal to rescind requirements for employers and other covered entities to file annual EEO reports containing aggregate employee race, sex and job-category data. EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said the reports risked hindering enforcement of equal employment laws and raised constitutional concerns.
The order marks Johnson’s latest clash with federal immigration authorities.
In October, Johnson barred ICE from using city parking lots and garages for operations, a policy a federal agent said forced agents to stage in public and created operational risks. DHS said Operation Midway Blitz had resulted in more than 4,500 arrests by December.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.