Chicago Mayor Johnson’s Executive Order on Contractor Diversity

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order mandating city contractors to disclose leadership diversity demographics and report connections with certain law enforcement agencies, like ICE. This move aims to leverage city purchasing power to establish new contracting standards.

Johnson emphasized the importance of workplace data in identifying discrimination and opposed the previous administration’s attempts to eliminate federal reporting requirements.

If you want to conduct business with the city, we need information on whether your company’s leadership mirrors the diversity of the communities funding your contracts.

The Department of Homeland Security criticized Johnson, accusing the order of punishing companies aiding in federal immigration enforcement.

Johnson announced the order during a press conference at Arise Chicago, a nonprofit supporting immigrant rights. He presented it as a counter to corporate influence in government, intending to align city spending with its values.

Contractors must reveal if they received over $500,000 from government or law enforcement agencies and if faced proceedings for excessive force, unlawful detention, unconstitutional policing, or civil rights violations. DHS accused Johnson of penalizing firms collaborating with ICE.

Large private companies with corporate families reporting at least $1 billion in net income are required to provide details on leadership diversity, board composition, and diversity strategies unless covered by Illinois law.

Contractors must also disclose their efforts to hire and promote formerly incarcerated individuals, updating these disclosures annually. Doing business with ICE alone is not a disqualifying factor.

The campaign supporting Johnson’s order reported $3.19 billion in Chicago contracts held by 42 firms also engaged with ICE.

Johnson referenced the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposal to remove requirements for employers to file annual EEO reports containing racial, gender, and job-category data.

The order represents Johnson’s latest confrontation with federal immigration authorities. Previously, Johnson restricted ICE from using city parking and garages, which a federal agent claimed posed operational risks.

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Fox News Digital contacted Johnson’s office for comments, but there was no immediate response.

CJ Womack serves as an associate editor at Fox News with a keen interest in journalism’s influence on politics and culture. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a journalism minor from Long Beach State University.