Chicago migrants make poor and homeless 'an afterthought' in their own city: local activist

Tio Hardiman, the Executive Director for Violence Interrupters, is calling for Mayor Brandon Johnson to issue a moratorium on migrants in the city of Chicago.

The Windy City has been under the spotlight recently as one of many sanctuary cities now struggling to handle a massive influx of migrants. In the past year-and-a-half alone, tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have arrived and sought shelter.

In order to accommodate the growing number of migrants, Chicago spent hundreds of millions of dollars constructing shelters and providing vouchers despite backlash from the local community.

The thousands of Chicago citizens that are still poor and homeless, Hardiman remarked, have since become an "afterthought."

Tio Hardiman spoke to Fox News Digital about the Chicago migrant crisis. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images/Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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"The reality is that for all the poor people that have lived in Chicago, there has never been this type of effort to try and find resources. I’m not talking about Black, White, Latino. People living here already as legal citizens. Imagine a young person just getting their first apartment, their first car, how long it takes a young person to actually accomplish that ambition. Now you’re giving $9,000 rent vouchers to people that are not even legal citizens. Think about that for a minute. It's not right. It's not right at all," Hardiman told Fox News Digital. "I'm not saying that people need to get a handout either. I want to make that clear. But if you’re going to give out a handout, give it to the people that are already here that are struggling. That should make sense to anybody."

Though Hardiman acknowledged the migrant crisis has affected communities of all races, he noted that the Black community has been particularly slighted over this. 

"People get mad when we talk about reparations sometimes, but if you're going to be giving out any type of resources, why would you overlook the African-American people that have fought every world war here in the United States? People that continue to fight because we love our country just the same, but we should not be overlooked," Hardiman said.

Brandon Johnson has been criticized by Chicago citizens over his handling of the migrant crisis. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He added, "We got a mental health crisis going on in Chicago, gun violence all over the place. Gun violence is a public health issue, right? And it should be treated as such. And we just have too many people living in poverty already. So if you want to help bring people up to a degree and help them all the way out, help your people first."

While some predict the migrant crisis could affect Illinois’ political landscape, Hardiman was ambivalent.

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"I truly believe that the migrants are being played as a political football. I do believe that. And, I know that a lot of people are becoming a little upset with the Democratic Party based on the migrant issue. I know that much as a possibility. But the verdict is still out on all that. I wouldn’t go that far right now," Hardiman said.

Johnson has frequently attempted to blame Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for sending migrants from his state across the country. 

The best way to solve it, Hardiman said, is simple.

Chicago has given absurd accommodations to migrants compared to the poor and homeless, Hardiman argued. ((Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))

"It's all about just abiding by the laws of the land right now. On the federal level, we need to really adhere to the laws of the United States. People have to come to the United States the legal way, not the illegal way. And we shouldn't be making concessions for people that have come over here illegally. If the federal government would just abide by the law that’s on the books, we'll be all right," Hardiman said.

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