Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday called on President Biden to grant work permits to the nearly 500,000 undocumented immigrants living in the state. Johnson also said the city of about 2.7 million people could “conservatively” admit an additional 400,000 to 700,000 illegal immigrants.
“I hope the president will do the same to help our brothers and sisters who are in the country illegally build better lives here in the city of Chicago or wherever they decide to live,” Johnson said in a roundtable discussion with City Business. “We need to expand economic opportunity over the long term.” Thursday leaders.
“I want to make this clear: The City of Chicago will never turn our backs on the people who want to call Chicago home,” Johnson said.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city will “never turn our backs on the people who want to call Chicago home.” (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
Johnson, whose first anniversary as mayor was Thursday, said he, with support from dozens of other mayors including Denver, New York, Seattle and San Francisco, wrote a letter to the Biden administration urging him to further obtain additional work permits. Stated..
“I remain committed to the belief that a more inclusive and just future for all residents is truly possible, whether you arrived here yesterday or have been here for a long time. ” he said.
The mayor added that authorities remain “unwavering in our commitment to immigrant communities” even though a “humanitarian crisis” continues to unfold and “tests our city.”
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Last year, more than 400 immigrants were held at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. (Fox News/File)
The slow rollout of federally issued work permits has left big cities overwhelmed with an illegal immigration crisis and overcrowded shelters, with city leaders urging the government to grant more permits for additional immigrants and is requesting an extension of the permit. This year’s work permit expires on April 24th.
In February, more than 40 mayors sent a letter to: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas Ur Jadu, director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau, called for an automatic extension of existing work permits for at least 540 days.
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As the immigration crisis continues and crime soars in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson institutes a 60-day shelter eviction policy for immigrants. (Getty Images/File | AP/File)
The government announced on Thursday expansion Certain categories of illegal immigrants will be given between 180 and 540 days to “prevent renewal applicants from having their employment permits and documents expire.” It’s unclear how many undocumented immigrants in Chicago will be eligible for such an extension.
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Last year, Mr. Johnson faced backlash at several city and community meetings from Chicago residents who were unhappy about undocumented immigrants being dumped in their neighborhoods. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022, with thousands remaining in shelters.
