Chicago’s progressive coalition is facing challenges related to migration.
In politics, the highest drama often revolves around trivial matters. This is certainly the case in Chicago. Over the past few weeks, the city council has been embroiled in a heated debate over a proposal to hold a referendum on repealing the 1985 executive order that designated Chicago as a “sanctuary city” for undocumented immigrants. The influx of approximately 20,000 migrants from Texas in the past year has strained the city’s finances and resources. This conflict highlights the pressure that the migrant crisis is placing on the coalition that helped Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive teachers’ union organizer, secure a narrow victory in the April election. It also reveals a broader challenge for Democrats: migration may not be as popular among their voters as it is among party elites.
The drama began on November 2nd, when a special council meeting was scheduled to discuss the proposed referendum, which was drafted by a conservative alderman (Chicago’s term for city council members). However, the meeting was canceled due to a lack of quorum. It soon became clear why: Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, the floor leader and a close ally of Mayor Johnson, used his influence to prevent council members from attending. Ramirez-Rosa was accused of physically blocking Emma Mitts, a longstanding member of the black caucus, from entering the meeting. He was also accused of threatening to delay zoning hearings in the districts of several council members to dissuade them from participating. (He denies these allegations but acknowledges why some aldermen may have believed them.)
On November 6th, Ramirez-Rosa resigned from his position as floor leader, and on November 7th, he avoided censure for his behavior thanks to the mayor’s tie-breaking vote. This decision came after a day that began with the removal of anti-migrant protesters from the public gallery. Security claimed it was to prevent disruption, but some present suggested it was to avoid scenes of protest…
2023-11-09 09:01:38
Source from www.economist.com
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