A former Chicago gangster has sounded the alarm over Democrats' “inconsistent” crime policies and warned Americans “should be afraid” amid growing concerns about a potential turf war between Venezuelan gangs and local Chicago gangs.
Tyrone Muhammad, founder of the Former Inmate Community and Social Change Organization, spoke on “Fox & Friends” and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' shift in stance on crime, arguing that Democratic policies have turned Black Americans against the Biden-Harris administration.
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“We just heard about a vice president who claims to specialize in locking up and arresting international gangsters, yet she supports her own party's sanctuary city policies and the border crisis. This is a contradiction,” Muhammad told Lawrence Jones on Tuesday.
“At the same time, we now have to contend with cross-border gangs and an influx of men who we don't know where they're coming from. [from]”The crimes they've committed, the violence they've been involved in. That being said, we're on the front lines every day, keeping our communities safe.”
Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Piroszka van de Woow
Local gangs on Chicago's South Side are reportedly battling a surge in Venezuelan immigrants, including members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, according to the New York Post.
Local residents told The Post that crime has increased with the arrival of Venezuelans, while some Venezuelan gangs have begun encroaching on local gang turf in the city.
“There's a lot of[immigrant gang]activity that nobody hears about,” Chicago gang member Zach Massey told the New York Post. “They're invading our turf, robbing people, but they're not getting arrested like we are. I actually talked to one of the gang members on a translation app, and he told me all the stuff he's been doing, how they've helped us get cars, apartments,[EBT]cards, stuff like that. They're giving them thousands of dollars, and we only get like $400 a month. They don't even have social security numbers!”
A local gang source in Chicago told the New York Post that Venezuelan gang members, who are often heavily armed, are beginning to flow into areas traditionally controlled by local gangs.
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“This is not just about the black community. This is just the beginning. Violence anywhere is the same everywhere,” Muhammad said. “America should be terrified that something like this could happen in an American city, one of our largest cities, one of our largest tourist draw cities.” [cities] We are not outraged when we see things like this happening around the country… these are policies that impact our communities and turn Black and brown communities against this administration.”
Jones noted that Chicago has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to mitigate the migrant surge.
Mr Mohammed argued it was “foolish” that “divestment” in ethnic minority communities would be diverted to fund illegal immigration.
“Our government[s] All the issues and systemic disinvestment that is happening in communities across America are right in front of our eyes…specifically [in] “In Chicago, black voters have consistently voted enthusiastically for one party that has not listened to its voters or its community, but instead has told them, 'us first, us first, us first.' And the very idea that anyone would dare think that foreigners should be given priority over black communities or the poorest communities is just ridiculous,” he argued.
Meanwhile, with crime already a concern for residents, there are immediate fears of an escalation of violence between transitional and local gangs.
According to Chicago Police, from August 2022 to September 2024, robberies increased by 12%, aggravated assaults increased by 13% and motor vehicle thefts increased by 43%.
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Chicago residents have spent the past year expressing frustration with left-leaning Mayor Brandon Johnson and city officials for spending their tax money on a growing immigrant population.
“We're already dealing with major crime. We're already dealing with major education issues. We're already dealing with high murder rates. And when you add in illegal immigrants, people from other countries being released from prison and coming into our cities, it's just a matter of time before it explodes,” Project Hood founder Rev. Corey Brooks told “Fox & Friends First.”
“Conflicts and problems are starting to arise in different parts of South Chicago, and it's only going to get worse as time goes on,” he continued.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during a Secret Service security briefing for the Democratic National Committee on July 25, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Getty Images)
Brooks warned that as Election Day approaches, rising crime is likely to drive many voters desperate for change to the polls.
“I know that in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, many people are experiencing similar hardships with migrants coming across the border into cities and wreaking havoc,” Brooks said. “These issues are very close to home to many people. Crime, immigration, the economy are issues that many voters are concerned about.”
“I have no doubt at all that individuals will vote in the direction of how they want to handle immigration,” he continued.
Fox News' Michael Lee contributed to this report.
