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City Council meeting this week included public comments from
Chicago residents seeking to end the city's migrant crisis and
end their sanctuary city status. A proposed referendum would
have given the public a chance to vote on whether or not they
wanted to end or continue the policy of not enforcing federal
immigration law, but aldermen voted against giving residents
that choice.
Chicago Alderman Chris Taliaferro told The Center Square that
people are "upset" due to the city refusing to end its status as
a sanctuary city.
"My constituents are very concerned about whether or not we
remain a sanctuary city and having that opportunity but before
them on a ballot," Taliaferro said. "A lot of our residents,
particularly those in the Black community, want to be heard as
to whether or not we remain a sanctuary city."
Nearly 25,000 migrants have come to Illinois from the U.S.
southern border over the last year and a half. After public
comments this week, city officials gave their opinions on the
decision.
Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez and others focused on the handling
of the flow of migrants from the southern U.S. border.
"We see a serious attack on our city, which we should all see
for what it is," Sigcho-Lopez said. "We see human trafficking.
We see the buses of asylum seekers come inhumanely to the city.
A 5-year-old little girl died in transit because of these
inhumane policies."
Alderman Raymond Lopez said the migrants are coming to this
country illegally because they have no other options available.
"These individuals are, yes, using a backdoor to get into this
country because, yes, the federal government has failed to fix
the front door since 1987," Lopez said.
Many, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, have said that this problem
can be relieved by offering work permits to the arrivals.
"We have had dozens of people sleeping at the 14th district
police station up until recently," Alderperson Daniel La Spata
said. "We have businesses up and down Milwaukee Avenue and
throughout Logan Square who are saying 'all we want is to be
able to hire these folks.' Then, a quarter mile away, we have
people who are saying 'all we want to be able to do is work.'"
The referendum was rejected and will not go on the ballot for
the upcoming election cycle.
City and state funds to deal with the crisis have totaled nearly
$700 million this year alone.
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