On Tuesday, Mayor Brandon Johnson joined city officials to unveil Chicago’s newest snowplow, officially christened “Abolish ICE.” In a quick but pointed ceremony, a running civic joke turned into a rolling political statement, and the city’s annual naming contest suddenly had national eyes on it. The truck will now join Chicago’s winter fleet and carry its new name as it clears city streets this season.
The unveiling was filmed and posted as a video, according to CBS News Chicago, which shows Johnson standing with Department of Streets and Sanitation staff beside the freshly named plow. The event doubled as a celebration of community participation in the contest and a chance to bolt the “Abolish ICE” nameplate onto the vehicle.
The winning name came out of the city's fourth annual “You Name a Snowplow” contest, which drew a record 13,300 submissions and roughly 39,000 votes, according to AP News. Block Club Chicago’s public-records tally, reported by WTTW, showed about 9,200 separate entries for “Abolish ICE,” making it the runaway favorite among voters.
Mayor's Endorsement And Local Meaning
Johnson did not exactly stay neutral during the naming process. He publicly backed the submission while voting was open, telling supporters the snowplow being named “Abolish ICE” had his “full and complete endorsement,” according to NBC Chicago. That nod from the mayor helped crank up the political volume and drew national coverage that tied the plow directly to the wider fight over federal immigration enforcement.
How The Contest Works
Each year, city staff sift through thousands of name suggestions and narrow the list to 25 finalists. Residents then vote, and the top six names are assigned to plows spread across Chicago’s six snow districts, WTTW reports. The winners get some city merchandise and a photo with their named plow once the nameplate is officially installed.
Why The Name Landed
The name struck a nerve because it plugged directly into an ongoing clash over immigration enforcement after a late 2025 federal surge of ICE agents that sparked protests and pushback from local leaders, a sequence of events detailed by The Washington Post. For many Chicagoans, seeing “Abolish ICE” stamped on a city plow reads as a symbolic rebuke of that crackdown. For others, it is an open invitation to argue about whether a snowplow should be carrying a political slogan in the first place.
What's Next
The naming contest and Tuesday’s ceremony have already generated national headlines and plenty of local reactions. Coverage shows the city’s plow fleet lined up outside the Grand Avenue salt dome replacement facility during the announcement, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. City officials say the “Abolish ICE” plow will roll into service this winter, where it will tackle snow and slush while the broader fight over immigration policy continues to pile up on Chicago’s political streets.
