(DailyAnswer.org) – Chicago has approved an additional $70 million for the care of illegal immigrants as the city faces mounting criticism from locals that the Chicago City Council is prioritizing foreigners over native residents. The council approved Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson’s request in a 30-17 vote to use the funds to assist with the sanctuary city’s ongoing migration crisis. The money comes on top of $150 million already assigned to the Windy City’s migrant welfare budget. The council’s budget committee chair Jason Erwin said that though they did not want to spend such a large sum right now, the council had a duty to move the funding forward.
In November 2023 as efforts to limit or repeal Chicago’s sanctuary city status gained momentum, fueled by the arrival of several thousand migrants bused up from Texas, some community organizations banded together to warn the City Council that the move could put foreign nationals in danger of deportation. The coalition stressed that this risk could increase if former President Donald Trump re-enters the White House.
In December the City Council decided to not even consider allowing the public to vote on the city’s sanctuary city status. The additional investment in caring for migrants also highlights the Democratic Party’s increasing alienation of some of its key voter bases, including ethnic minorities; Chicago’s black residents blasted the mayor for neglecting black communities who need proper investment in their neighborhoods. One speaker laying into Johnson wore a Make America Great again cowboy hat.
A petition that would grant voters the opportunity to recall the mayor is gaining momentum. The petition, which requires 56,464 signatures, is being spearheaded by local resident Dan Boland due to the city being one of four out of the United States’ 15 biggest cities currently unable to recall its mayor. Johnson’s office blamed Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the ongoing likelihood of new arrivals of migrants, saying the city needed to be prepared for any sudden influxes. Johnson stressed that the city needed to be able to provide food, accommodation, medical assistance, education and vaccines to migrants in addition to helping them resettle.
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