Emanuel calls Chicago a 'Trump-free zone' on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'

WLS logo
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
rahm emanuel
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (FILE)
WLS-WLS

NEW YORK (WLS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel is back in town Tuesday after a trip to New York, which included an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" where he called Chicago a "Trump-free zone."

The mayor said the city's motto is "a city Trump will never sleep in."

Emanuel described Chicago as welcoming for immigrants from around the world and explained why local police are not enforcing federal immigration laws.

"We're building relationships between the police department and communities. I'm not driving a wedge. That's what Donald Trump wants, is a wedge on the philosophy of community policing. It's absolutely antithetical to everything we're trying to do. Police chiefs around the country all think the Justice Department under Trump is driving a wedge, and a difference between communities and the police department, when we're trying to build that trust," Emanuel said.

The mayor said being a sanctuary city is part of the history of Chicago, which was the only city that didn't participate in the Fugitive Slave Act.

Emanuel also talked about his podcast, "Chicago Stories," and took some lighter questions. He reiterated that he prefers thick-crust pizza and 16-inch softball.