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A Chicago resident who protested against another tranche of funding going toward migrant care in the Windy City is warning that the city risks going bankrupt if it continues — days after the city council green lit the additional $70 million despite furious opposition.
“The main objection is that there seems to be no end in sight,” P Rae Easley told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Every 3 or 4 months, there seems to be some new vote for a massive amount of taxpayer funds to be allocated to the illegals, and we have to put a stop to it or it’s going to bankrupt our city.”
The council voted 30-18 to approve the request made by Mayor Brandon Johnson in order to help deal with the ongoing migrant crisis it is facing. That money is on top of a $150 million assigned to migrant care in the budget already.
CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $70M FOR MIGRANT CARE DESPITE VOTER BACKLASH
Mayor Johnson’s office said the funding request was to ensure the city is prepared “should there be any sudden increases in new arrivals sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.” The city aims to provide “basic necessities” including food, shelter, medical care, education, vaccines, case management and resettlement support.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gives an update on migrant issues at City Hall on Jan. 29, 2024 in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
According to Johnson’s office, the city has at its peak been dealing with more than 2,000 migrants coming in a week. Nearly 40,000 have arrived since August 2022
However, the request drew significant opposition from residents who believe that illegal immigrants are being prioritized over residents.
Easley, who is a political abolitionist and hosts a radio show in Chicago, said she was not surprised by the Council’s approval but said the number of progressives who voted against it shows the support for such funding is beginning to break down as more residents speak out.
“It was due to the opposition,” said Easley, who was previously an intern for then-state Senator Barack Obama.
BLACK CHICAGO VOTERS RIP MAYOR ON EXTRA $70M FOR MIGRANTS AS RECALL PETITION GATHERS STEAM
Recently arrived migrants sit on cots and the floor of a makeshift shelter operated by the city at OHare International Airport on Aug. 31, 2023. ( (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))
Easley highlighted the need in the city for additional resources for rehab for addicts, as well as the restoration of transport for general education students in the city.
“If the city has money, then that money needs to be allocated to pupil transportation, because we’re already in a district with 40% absenteeism. So it’s not fair that they were able to provide transportation for the illegals and not American children of taxpayers,” she said.
One lawmaker had pointed to prior waves of immigrants that the U.S. had received. Easley rejected that narrative.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
Video“Two things. Number one, I am a Negro woman, which means that I am 100% American and that immigration story does not belong to me. But beyond that, the immigrants that came to this country came here legally, whether it be through Ellis Island or the Port of New Orleans,” she said.
“The purpose of immigrating to this country is for us to vet who you are before you get here and have a record of your entry. People who are coming here without a record of entry, who have not been vetted at an embassy, who do not have any fingerprints, all of those things pose a threat to our city due to possible security breaches,” she said.
She also stressed that her and her allies were not reflexively against the mayor.
“I just want people to know that we’re not an anti-Brandon Johnson group. We are an anti-chaos and progressivism group. And if he chooses to be the spokesperson for them, then he deserves all of the energy that we’re pushing against them,” she warned.
Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
He can be reached at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter.
