Headline: “Chicago Activist Launches Democratic Primary Bid to Address Migrant Crisis and Uphold Legal Standards”
Local advocate Andre Smith, the founder of Chicago Against Violence, has officially entered the Democratic primary race for the Illinois State House, as reported by Fox News on January 23, 2024. Smith’s primary focus is addressing the migrant crisis in Chicago, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the legal implications of immigration.
In an interview with Fox News, Smith challenged the narrative blaming Texas Governor Greg Abbott for Chicago’s migrant crisis. Instead, he directed responsibility towards Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson, attributing the issues of homelessness and rising crime rates in the city to what he considers misguided policies.
“Seeing our homeles
s on the streets and crime at an all-time high, you know you can’t make ‘illegal’ ‘legal’ no matter how you do it,” Smith stated, underscoring the need to adhere to legal standards.
Mayor Johnson defended his office’s response, characterizing it as a “humanitarian mission.” He criticized Governor Abbott for sending buses to transport migrants “all over the state of Illinois,” describing it as reckless.
Smith recalled an incident from the previous year when he and two others were arrested for protesting in front of a defunct school repurposed to shelter migrants. He expressed concern over the use of taxpayer-funded resources, such as CTA buses, for transporting migrants while local schools faced closures due to insufficient funding.
“In the community that I was born in, which is called Woodlawn in the city of Chicago, I did get arrested. I heard that they were bringing the migrants in on a CTA bus that was paid for by taxpayers’ money… So I stood in front of the bus, and I refused for the illegal migrants to get into the Wadsworth School,” Smith explained.
Smith raised questions about the fairness of closed schools being repurposed for migrants while local students faced rejection. He argued for equal legal standards for all individuals, regardless of their immigration status.
According to Smith, designating a municipality as a “sanctuary city” should not exempt it from adhering to established legal standards. If elected, he pledged to actively pursue a recall of Mayor Johnson, who secured victory against left-wing Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the previous year’s elections.
Smith’s campaign aligns with his commitment to equal application of the law, maintaining that the concept of sanctuary cities should not compromise the existing legal framework. He aims to represent the concerns of residents impacted by the migrant crisis, focusing on the allocation of city resources and public safety.
