Several Chicago aldermen responded to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s defiant posture towards the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The aldermen were asked if Johnson and city officials were listening to constituents’ voices on the issue.
“Absolutely not,” Alderman Nick Sposato told Fox News Digital. “The mayor is a friend of mine. He’s way left. I’m way right. I don’t know why he’s not listening to the people. I got to believe the majority of the people don’t want these bad people protected in our city and our state and our country.”
Over the past couple of years, frustration among residents has continued to grow at Johnson’s handling of an influx of migrants into the city. Their frustration has been displayed at several city council meetings where they complained about a proposed tax hike to address the city’s budget deficit, while the city spends more than half a billion dollars on sheltering migrants.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, right, is criticizing the ICE operations that began on Sunday in his city. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Despite backlash from residents, Johnson criticized ICE and the Trump administration after they began apprehending illegal immigrants in the city last month.
Alderman Ray Lopez said that Johnson only cares about the opinions of “hyper-liberal white progressives” who live in Chicago.
“He’s not concerned about African-Americans, he’s not concerned about Latinos, and he’s absolutely not concerned about undocumented Mexicans who will bear the brunt of his actions,” he said. “He is playing the game of chicken with their lives, and it’s disgusting.”
A few weeks ago, the Chicago city council blocked Lopez’s proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to assist ICE to detain migrants with a criminal record.
Chicago residents spoke up against Mayor Brandon Johnson for his handling of the migrant crisis. (Fox News)
“Why wouldn’t we allow them to be deported, especially if they’re guilty of the crimes that they’re accused of?,” Alderman Brian Hopkins told Fox News Digital. “He believes that he is such a strong advocate for human rights, no matter what your citizenship status is, that if you’re here and you’re not a citizen and you’re committing heinous crimes, he wants to protect you.”
Two illegal migrants were charged in the murder of a 63-year-old man whose body was found tied up at his Chicago home on Sunday. This occurred the same day that Trump’s border czar Tom Homan led an immigration enforcement operation in the city.
CHICAGO HORROR: 2 MIGRANTS CHARGED WITH MURDER AS HOMAN LEADS ICE RAIDS
CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 10: Migrants living at the Chicago Police Department’s 15th District are seen inside the station on Sunday, September 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“I have Venezuelan gangs—The Tren De Aragua and all the rest of them here fighting against my residents, fighting against local businesses, fighting against even the long-term undocumented who’ve made this their home, causing chaos and dangerous situations on the streets here.” Lopez said. “It’s important now more than ever to revisit this issue and do whatever we can do to work with our federal partners to get rid of these bad actors that are here in our communities and in our city.”
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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