The ongoing migrant crisis plaguing the southern US border has now reached a boiling point in Chicago, causing rising crime, falling property values, and community destabilization, according to Alderman Brian Hopkins. The Democratic politician pulled no punches in blaming the Biden administration for exacerbating problems in the Windy City by failing to secure the border. Well, I guess his career’s over.
In an appearance on CNN’s News Central, Hopkins described the dire situation Chicago finds itself in after receiving an influx of 30,000 migrants in recent months.
“We’re seeing communities destabilized. We’re seeing an influx of new residents who simply don’t have a place to reside. The impact on local shelters is having a detrimental effect on residents’ quality of life,” Hopkins explained. “We’re seeing crime go up and property values go down. It’s creating a political crisis and stress between communities.”
The alderman said the city is in desperate need of “decompression” to relieve the pressure. Possible solutions could include work permits to allow migrants to find jobs and permanent housing assistance. However, Hopkins emphasized that Chicago is currently in no position to accept any additional migrants given the strains already placed on it.
“We simply can’t handle any more. We’re not equipped for it,” he asserted.
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VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELHopkins also did not shy away from placing blame on the Biden administration for allowing the migrant crisis to spiral out of control. He argued that the federal government has completely neglected its duties and left local cities like Chicago holding the bag.
“I’m a Democrat, but I’ll say the Biden administration has absolutely dropped the ball. I’m not going to let them off the hook,” Hopkins remarked. “They have left us in the ditch with this, and that’s unacceptable.”
He said the administration’s lack of urgency has exacerbated problems across the country as the number of migrants crossing the southern border only continues to rise daily. Hopkins believes the federal government should have taken action to secure the border and provide relief to destination cities like Chicago when the crisis first emerged.
“What I’m hearing now is encouraging, but we needed to hear this a year ago when this crisis first started in Chicago. We had a trickle that led to a torrent, and now we’re spending 300 million of our own funds, about 5% of our municipal budget, to address a problem that didn’t even exist a year and a half ago,” he commented.
“Where has the Biden administration been? It’s not too late to do the right thing, but every day the border remains open and cities try to handle this humanitarian crisis alone, it gets worse.”
Hopkins joins other Democratic mayors and officials in affected cities in pleading for increased federal assistance. It’s a difficult call to judge this. On the one hand, the federal government, under President Joe Biden’s orders, has allowed up to 10 million illegals to roam around the interior of the country. On the other hand, blue cities bragged about being so-called sanctuary cities during the last administration as a personal FU to President Donald Trump, so it makes it hard to show any empathy to these Democrats, who were basically too stupid to realize that their actions would cause this very problem.
Trump solved the border problem, by the way, and Joe Biden has made it worse than it ever has been since the birth of the United States.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Denver Mayor Michael Johnston held a joint video conference this week, urging President Biden to bolster efforts to cope with the influx of migrants overwhelming local communities across the country.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said the current situation is “not sustainable” without “significant federal support.” He and other city leaders argue the federal government has a responsibility to secure the border, process migrants, and provide them with support, rather than relying solely on urban hubs like Chicago as end destinations.
With rising tensions and costs in Chicago, Hopkins and others hope the White House will respond quickly to decompress the situation before it deteriorates further. Securing the southern border, fast-tracking work permits, and providing housing assistance could help alleviate the pressures on Chicago, but firm action by the Biden administration will be required to enact meaningful change.
