The Chicago City Council approved a huge amount of funding to house and feed illegal immigrants, and Black residents are furious it’s not being allocated to their communities.
The $51 million measure passed on Wednesday night with a 34-13 vote, in an effort to care for the over 10,000 migrants the “sanctuary city” has seen flood their streets in the past year.
The meeting became heated before the vote, when the city’s Black residents chanted “Black Lives Matter,” and demanded the money be spent taking care of the Black community and paying reparations.
“How dare this mayor and City Council have the guts to give migrants $51 million dollars,” argued Andre Smith, CEO of Chicago Against Violence.
Black Chicago resident yells at Mayor Brandon Johnson after the City Council allocated $51M to illegal migrants and says it should be used for reparations instead.
pic.twitter.com/SwUDrUz2Nu— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 31, 2023
“I demand you to have the same passion and urgency to pass the City of Chicago Reparations Ordinance and also give us an office for Black Americans, just like the new Americans.”
He said that slaves didn’t “have the privilege to cross the border” and came over “chained in the bottom of ships.”
Chicago Alderman David Moore noted that it “hurt his heart” to see the money being made a “Black and Brown issue,” but said that the city needed to help black citizens first.
“People keep saying there’s enough to go around, I’ve heard [that] over and over,” he remarked.
“If that’s true, then let’s pay us an ordinance where we see the enough.”
Carolyn Ruff, who led the “Black Lives Matter” chat said that the City Council needs “to allocate some of this money for our Black children, for the Black community, we have not gotten anything for our community and we are sick and tired.”
Chicago’s new Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson shaded Texas Governor Greg Abbott for busing illegal migrants to “welcoming” cities to provide relief to their “overrun border communities.”
“Until Biden secures the border to stop the inflow of mass migration, Texas will continue this necessary program,” he said in a May letter.
“Chicago is facing a humanitarian crisis as individuals and families continue to be sent here and other Democratic-led cities across the country without regard for their well-being,” Johnson snapped.
“My administration will do everything in our power to support these new arrivals as they work to rebuild their lives in the U.S. while still upholding our commitments to the residents of Chicago,” he continued.
“This appropriation is critical to support our efforts to provide housing and services in the immediate future.”
Johnson inherited the crisis from outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who declared a state of emergency prior to her exit in May.
The state of emergency frees up emergency funds and will allow the city to call on the national guard for support.
“We should all understand that this crisis will likely deepen before we see it get better,” Lightfoot said in a statement.
I've always loved teaching, and the opportunity to get back to it is something I am excited about. Looking forward to sharing the experiences and perceptions I learned governing through one of the most challenging times in American history with the @HarvardChanSPH community! https://t.co/yepEhBn2IO
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) June 1, 2023
The former mayor accepted a teaching position at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health to lead a course titled “Health Policy and Leadership.”
“Lightfoot led a coordinated, citywide response across government, business, and community organizations to safeguard public health and minimize economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Ivy League institution announced this week.
In a Thursday tweet, Lightfoot shared her excitement about the new role. “I’ve always loved teaching, and the opportunity to get back to it is something I am excited about.”
“Looking forward to sharing the experiences and perceptions I learned governing through one of the most challenging times in American history with the @HarvardChanSPH community!”