Frustrated Chicago residents fed up with spending on illegal immigrants, call for Republican leadership
Chicago residents are fed up with the city spending taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants, prompting some to call for Republicans to take over the traditionally Democrat-run city.
"The taxpayers are paying and funding this illegal migrant crisis," South-Side resident Danielle Carter told Fox News Digital. "So, therefore, it's not fair to us because they are taking our resources. They are spending our tax dollars on people who crossed the border illegally. I think everybody who came over here illegally should get deported and come back legally."
Carter is a member of the Chicago Flips Red, a group made up of city residents who are critical of the city's handling of the migrant crisis. Since August 2022, the city estimates that over 51,000 illegal immigrants from the southern border have traveled to Chicago.
Over the past couple of years, 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. According to city officials, Chicago is expected to spend $40 million on migrant services.
Zoe Leigh, another member of Chicago Flips Red, told Fox News Digital that she believes the city's spending on illegal immigrants is "unconstitutional."
"We continue to spend more because of this. It's unconstitutional. It's wrong. This is unfair. American citizens have put too much into the United States, into this nation, for us not to even have a say," she said.
Chicago Flips Red founder Patricia "P Rae" Easley called for a democratic process to decide whether local authorities should work with federal law enforcement like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport illegal immigrants.
"They should have given us the opportunity to vote for it. Just a simple yes or no question. Should we remain a sanctuary city? They didn't want to give that to us. The fact of the matter is, the Chicagoans have never, ever, ever voted for this sanctuary city ordinance," Easley said.
The city council recently blocked a proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to assist ICE to detain migrants with a criminal record. Mayor Brandon Johnson released guidelines for how city officials should handle ICE visits on city property, while reaffirming his administration's "commitment to the welcoming city ordinance."
Carter said she and others are willing to report any migrants to the authorities.
"We're on the ground. We have our boots on the ground. So, the people in the neighborhood are willing and ready to work with Tom Homan and ICE," Carter said.
"They care more for other people who are not from this country than they do here in America," Mark Carter told Fox News Digital.
Cata Truss, a Democrat, said the city leaders should be looking to take care of our own citizens first, citing the "homeless problem" in the city.
"You've even laid out the red carpet in terms of funding for them. Yet your people are still suffering. We had a homeless problem here in the city of Chicago before the migrants ever got here. And so you're putting them up in hotels and finding nice places for them to stay," she said.
Chicago officials operated temporary shelters, including churches, hotels, a library and former warehouses. The largest shelters housed more than 1,000 people, while others reported counts closer to 100.
City officials consolidated shelters for the homeless and migrants in an attempt to save taxpayers money, an effort Johnson called a "unified sheltering system."
Johnson's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News' Joshua Nelson and Elizabeth Heckman reported from Chicago, Illinois.
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