Chicago residents furious over migrant aid package: ‘Just a mess here’
Chicago resident Andre Smith shares the outrage of his community over the city’s $51 million migrant aid package.
After the city council approved a multi-million dollar migrant aid package, outraged Chicago residents raised their concerns and frustrations at a meeting earlier this week.
One of those residents joined "Fox & Friends Weekend" to amplify the concerns of his Chicago neighbors and offer other areas where the $51 million could be spent.
"It's just a mess here," Chicago resident Andre Smith said. "We have in Chicago $160 million that was spent for the migrants with no records, no plan. And now we're fixing to spend $51 million that was passed at city council with no record, no plan for 500 migrants for 30 days. That's unheard of."
Chicago aldermen voted to approve the measure by a vote of 34-13, according to FOX 32, noting that there was contentious debate before the spending was eventually approved.
Brandon Johnson, mayor of Chicago, during an inauguration ceremony at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on May 15, 2023. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement that the funding is necessary and will go toward resources for migrants, including food, housing, and staffing.
"Chicago is facing a humanitarian crisis as individuals and families continue to be sent here and other Democratic-led cities across the country without regard for their well-being," Johnson said. "My administration will do everything in our power to support these new arrivals as they work to rebuild their lives in the U.S. while still upholding our commitments to the residents of Chicago. This appropriation is critical to support our efforts to provide housing and services in the immediate future, and I will continue to advocate for additional state and federal funding for as long as needed."
During Wednesday's city council meeting, residents vocalized their frustration that so much money was being given towards migrants rather than U.S. citizens.
"We have not gotten anything for our community and we are sick and tired of being sick and tired," one woman shouted. "Enough is enough."
Smith, who had been arrested earlier this year for trespassing when he tried to block buses of migrants from entering the city of Chicago, was also in attendance and challenged the plan.
"How dare this mayor and city council have the guts to give migrants $51 million," Smith said during the meeting.
Officials estimate that the cost the city has faced attempting to address the migrant crisis from January until June has cost around $102 million.
Chicago has received $30 million from the Illinois government and $4.4 million from a FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program to assist the city.
"There's a lot of other people that's on the radio and news. We are totally upset. We have dismantled. Our mind is discombobulated… it's unheard of," Smith told host Rachel Campos-Duffy. "Just imagine you're at work and your boss give a blank check of $51 million to 500 people for 30 days. That business would be out of business."
Smith called for an audit of the funds used towards the migrant crisis and a hold on the city's sanctuary status. He also explained there are numerous other uses for the money.
"When you look at all Memorial Day, we had 53 people shot in the city of Chicago, 11 killed. That's just on Memorial Day weekend. So you can put that money to crime," he reasoned.
"We have homeless people just a couple of blocks away... there was a young lady that froze to death, got both of her legs amputated, both her arms amputated because she had no place to go. But you have a school and you put these immigrants or migrants, whatever you want to call it, that he had a free choice to cross the borders, but black people didn't have the opportunity to cross the border. They didn't have that luxury to cross the borders. They came over here in chains in the bottoms of ships. So this is a total disaster," Smith added.
Critics like Smith are determined to push back against the plan despite getting approval from city aldermen.
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Former mayoral candidate Ja'Mal Green said that aldermen need to vote down the funding.
"I'm asking the City Council to halt their vote. To vote no on the $51 million until we can have a tangible plan of resources for our neighborhoods for investment into these neighborhoods that are suffering the most," Green said.
"The fight will continue. Going to jail or not, we're going to fight," Smith said.
Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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