‘Abolish ICE’ Wins Chicago Snowplow Naming Contest
A man crosses Wacker Drive in front of a waiting city snowplow in Chicago. (Rich Hein/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)
When it comes to naming Chicago’s annual fight against its notoriously harsh winters, practicality and politics have collided. “Abolish ICE” emerged as the top vote-getter in the city’s “You Name a Snowplow” contest, giving residents a pointed way to express opposition to immigration enforcement actions carried out under President Donald Trump.
The protest-style slogan dominated the contest, receiving the majority of nearly 40,000 votes cast, according to reporting by Block Club Chicago and the Associated Press. More than 13,000 names were submitted overall, with anti-ICE themes accounting for roughly 80% of votes.
A surge of agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement beginning last September led to over 4,000 arrests, a fatal shooting, and strong backlash from many of the city’s Democratic leaders and residents—particularly in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations. Despite mid-winter cold, “ICE Out” protests have continued in recent weeks downtown, near federal facilities, and in surrounding suburbs.
Mayor Brandon Johnson praised voters for their creativity and civic pride. Asked about the potentially divisive name, a spokesperson noted that “Abolish ICE” won by a landslide, adding that Chicagoans “clearly have no issue” with the choice. Johnson had already endorsed the name in December, telling the Chicago Tribune that the city must scrutinize how the administration has used immigration enforcement and the harm it believes has resulted.
Snowplow-naming contests are common in many cities, though Chicago’s winning entry stands out for its political edge. In Nashville, for example, “Dolly Plowton” honors Tennessee-born country legend Dolly Parton, while in Minnesota, a plow named “Taylor Drift” nods to pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Chicago voters also chose several lighter-hearted names. Winners included “Stephen Coldbert,” a pun on late-night host Stephen Colbert; “Svencoolie,” referencing local horror-TV figure Svengoolie; and “Caleb Chilliams,” honoring quarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, who led the team to its first playoff appearance in 15 years. Other picks included “Blizzard of Oz” and “Pope Frio XIV,” a playful rhyme on the Spanish word for cold.
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