The far-left liberal mayor of Chicago has rarely seen eye-to-eye with conservatives in his state. However, as the migrant crisis worsens, he is taking a stand against his party’s policies.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson implemented a policy that gives illegal migrants a 60-day shelter limit before they are forced to take up space elsewhere. The city’s sixteen aldermen, including close allies of Johnson, sent a letter to the mayor urging him to terminate his policy, claiming it “poses a significant threat to the health and safety of new arrivals.”
The policy was due to take effect in mid-January but was delayed due to the city’s wicked cold temperatures.
At least 2,000 illegal migrants are set to be evicted if the policy is enforced on February 1. That number is expected to grow to about 6,000 people by the following week. The letter argues the city must delay evictions until the warmer months and instead focus on helping illegal aliens become independent.
Since 2022, at least 608 buses have arrived from Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), with more than 34,000 illegal migrants landing in Chicago. As of January 16, there are 28 shelters in operation within the city, holding roughly 14,967 immigrants. On February 1, 7,842 illegal immigrants will receive eviction notices.
The letter also demands that Johnson improve shelter, food, medical care, and other conditions.
The Johnson administration allocated $95 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to cover the costs and $51 million of budget surplus to aid the mission— something conservatives criticized. However, critics of Johnson argue he is to blame for the city’s influx of illegal migrants arriving in the city.
According to a poll obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, at least 70 percent of registered Chicago voters do not approve of Johnson’s job performance. The survey also found that only 43 percent of those surveyed rated Johnson’s mayoral performance as “poor,” while 27 percent said it was “only fair,” according to the Sun-Times. Only 7 percent rated Johnson’s performance as “excellent” and 14 percent rated it as “good.”