Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has defended his city's sanctuary city policies, arguing that Chicago has been "open and quite accommodating" to illegal immigrants.
Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has defended his city's sanctuary city policies, arguing that Chicago has been "open and quite accommodating" to illegal immigrants. In an op-ed published in the Chicago Sun Times, Johnson touted his administration's accomplishments in addressing the city's migrant crisis, while also criticizing Republican governors who have sent buses of asylum seekers to Chicago and other Democrat-controlled cities.
Johnson wrote that Chicago has "cleared women and children from sleeping on airport and police district floors, returned Chicago Park District facilities to communities, and cut our shelter population by 50%." He also noted that the city has taken in more than 30,000 new arrivals since he took office in 2023.
"We have managed to respond to this crisis while still making critical investments in affordable housing, mental health, and public safety," Johnson wrote. "We are investing more than $100 million into crime prevention and intervention, launching a comprehensive plan to address the root causes of violence in four of the most disinvested communities in our city."
Johnson's defense of Chicago's sanctuary city policies comes amid a national debate over immigration. Republican governors in Texas, Arizona, and Florida have sent buses of asylum seekers to Democrat-controlled cities in an effort to demonstrate the severity of the crisis border states are facing.
Johnson has argued that these actions are "unconscionable" and "evil-spirited." He has also criticized President Biden for not doing enough to secure the border.
"We need a comprehensive solution to our immigration system," Johnson wrote. "We need to invest in border security, but we also need to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are already here."
Johnson's op-ed has been met with mixed reactions. Some have praised him for his leadership on the issue of immigration, while others have criticized his policies as being too lenient.
The debate over sanctuary cities is likely to continue as the number of asylum seekers arriving in the United States continues to grow.
