Ah, Chicago, the Windy City. The sprawling Illinois metropolis, known for its gorgeous architecture, ample museums, and liberal lean, has become symbolic of a nationwide divide on immigration.
Declared a sanctuary city in the mid-1980s, Chicago didn’t officially adopt the status until 2012. Since its implementation, it’s weathered a storm of Republican criticism and rapidly increasing waves of migrants from its southern neighbors in Donald Trump‘s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, has announced his plans to target Chicago first for deportations, but local officials aren’t going down without a fight.
Despite Republicans’ best efforts, Chicago has consistently managed to rise above the attempts to punish its sanctuary city status, but the moral battleground is rapidly approaching actual militarization.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott—the absolute pinnacle of “not my f***ing problem” in quasi-human form — has spat on every effort for the two states to collaborate. In early 2023, the Texan “took the border to them,” shipping busload after busload of migrants into Chicago’s city limits, sending as many as 25 buses a day 24/7 for nearly 2 years. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has condemned the push, saying that the migrants were shipped “like cargo in a dehumanizing attempt to score political points.”
Chicago has weathered the storm so far with help from a border closing bill signed by President Biden, a small army of volunteers, and nearly $300 million in spending. Now the city must contend with the Trump istration using it as a pilot program for its mass deportation plans. Trump’s newly appointed border czar, Tom Homan, appeared in the city over the weekend, calling for Governor Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson to “come to the table” while simultaneously bashing them for being “terrible” during a holiday party hosted by the Law and Order PAC and the GOP.
Yes, the best way to convince people to see an issue from your side is to belittle them. “Chicago’s in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks,” he told the crowd. He explained that starting January 20, his plan is to flood the city with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who will be “looking for criminals and gang .”
Johnson has promised to protect the city’s migrant populations and ordered local police not to help federal agents deport Chicago residents. Homan replied, “If he doesn’t want to help, get the hell out of the way,” before throwing out threats of prosecution.
Trump has already threatened to mobilize the National Guard to expedite his deportation plans, promised to withhold federal funding in order to get sanctuary cities — like Denver and Chicago — in line, and wants to The escalated rhetoric shows a deepening divide between liberals and conservatives, but it’s immigrants who will bear the burden of actual violence.
Published: Dec 11, 2024 05:41 pm