Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson claims Chicago is more welcoming to undocumented immigrants than other blue cities, despite ongoing debate about the city's handling of migrant encampments ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Chicago's Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has asserted that his city has been "open and quite accommodating" towards illegal immigrants, in contrast to other blue cities. This claim comes amidst a heated discussion regarding the city's recent cleanup efforts of homeless encampments housing migrants.
On July 17, a large homeless encampment was cleared out, prompting Mayor Johnson and other city officials to address the issue. Initially, Maura McCauley, managing deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, stated that the cleanup was "fast-tracked in time for the Democratic National Convention" in late August.
Chicago's Mayor Johnson Boasts of City's Openness to Illegal Immigrants
However, Brian Berg, a spokesman for the department, later claimed that the initiative was unrelated to the convention. Mayor Johnson has also denied any connection between the encampment cleanup and the upcoming DNC.
The mayor's comments follow concerns raised by city officials about a possible surge in migrants due to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's vow to continue bussing migrants from the southern border to sanctuary cities. Chicago has received close to 46,000 migrants on buses in the past two years as part of Abbott's efforts to challenge liberal cities' welcoming policies.
Chicago's Mayor Johnson Boasts of City's Openness to Illegal Immigrants
The encampment clearing forms part of Chicago's "encampment initiative" to clean up eight tent cities across the city. Jordan Parra, a migrant who witnessed the cleanup, expressed his disappointment, saying, "He didn’t walk across seven countries to be kicked out of his tent in a park in Chicago." Parra, who chooses to live in encampments due to safety concerns, declined to stay in shelters.
Meanwhile, Johnson's office has not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place at the United Center from August 19 to 22.
Chicago's Mayor Johnson Boasts of City's Openness to Illegal Immigrants
In April, the city approved $70 million to support illegal immigrants in Chicago, a move that Johnson described as preparation for Abbott's transfer of migrants to the city. The ongoing debate over the city's handling of migrant encampments is expected to continue as the DNC approaches.
