Global Courant 2023-05-16 13:00:56
Chicago Democratic alderman Raymond Lopez spoke out about the city’s handling of the migrant crisis and ongoing crime rate, and expressed hope that the new mayor will turn things around in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Lopez berated now-ousted Democratic mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, for failing to properly house the thousands of illegal immigrants bussed from the southern border by Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott. fighting the crisis was even spent, saying “we have no idea” what happened to that money.
“We were woefully underprepared in our efforts to help these individuals who were shipped to our city and I think a lot of people have used them as pawns for political gain,” Lopez told Fox News Digital. “The fact is that with the amount of money we’ve spent right now, we could have built shelters for these people to be welcomed, to get medical care, to have housing for. But we didn’t live up to the moment … She leaves it to Brandon Johnson’s next administration to deal with the humanitarian crisis brought to her by Abbott, but exacerbated by her own ineptitude.
Chicago Democratic alderman Raymond Lopez spoke to Fox News Digital about the city’s mishandling of the migrant crisis, relentless crime and his new working relationship with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Lopez, perhaps the most vocal Lightfoot critic among Chicago Democrats who at one point threw his hat in to challenge her in the mayoral race, said she “fueled racial fears and to further divide the city” by crowding migrants into neighborhoods unbeknownst to community leaders, forcing many of the migrants to “take refuge in police stations across the city”.
Her administration, he said, refused to cooperate with him in an effort to accommodate the migrants appropriately, pointing to a field house in his neighborhood that could have accommodated nearly 300 migrants.
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“This was a completely avoidable situation,” Lopez said. “Had the city council, had the mayor chosen to step in and instead of mocking everyone at every turn instead of pointing the finger at Greg Abbott or others – Look, Lori Lightfoot, her socialist facilitators, they all said : make this an uncontrolled, welcoming city “Someone took that offer and now we’re falling behind what we said our ideals were in this city. And if we had planned and used our resources better, we wouldn’t be in the middle of a humanitarian crisis right now.”
Photos taken last month by Chicago City Councilman Raymond Lopez show migrants sheltering with their children on the floors of restrooms in the city’s public buildings. (Courtesy of Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez)
While still a staunch supporter of Chicago’s sanctuary policy, Lopez denounced the Lightfoot-era “zero exceptions” reform that he said protected dangerous felons, murderers and gang members, something he hopes will be reversed in the next administration.
Lopez shed some light on his working relationship with newly sworn-in Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, telling Fox News Digital, “I’ve spoken to him more times in the last three and a half weeks than Lori Lightfoot has in four years.”
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“I’m cautiously optimistic about the new administration,” said Lopez, who had supported Johnson’s opponent Paul Vallas in the mayoral election last month. “Having a mayor willing to take my call at least gives me a chance to make my case no matter what policy discussion or issue we have before us. And I haven’t had that chance in four years under the Lightfoot administration. So hopefully that bodes well for the rest of our relationship.”
However, he emphasized that there is a difference between being listened to and being heard. And only time will tell if anything Lopez told Johnson will be reflected in the actions taken while in office.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was removed from office after just one term and failed to gain enough support to even make it to the April runoff election, which was won by her progressive challenger Brandon Johnson. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Johnson, widely seen as to the left of the already progressive Lightfoot, previously expressed support for the movement to discourage policing, a stance he had softened during the election, which crime was a major campaign issue.
Lopez had mixed feelings about how Johnson will tackle crime. On the one hand, he was encouraged to see Johnson recruit Chicago Police Department veteran Fred Waller to serve interim superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. On the other hand, Johnson defended the teen rioters who wreaked havoc in the city last month, saying, “It’s not constructive to demonize young people who otherwise don’t get opportunities in their own communities.”
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“That’s not the right answer,” Lopez responded. And I hope Fred Waller and others will tell him that you don’t have to make excuses for bad behavior. We can get by by staying on the phone and telling people when they’re right and when they’re wrong. And you mean available to show that we are trying to make an effort not only to support law enforcement, not only to support neighborhoods and public safety, but also to show that we are giving youth and those seeking second chances every opportunity in the world to straighten out their own personal lives if they are so willing to do so.”
Chicago’s new mayor, Brandon Johnson, gave his first official speech on Monday. (Fox news)
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The Chicago alderman welcomed the DNC’s selection of his city to host the 2024 convention, but says Johnson will have to do his job to make positive changes before laying the “blue” carpet for the top Democrats in the country next summer country, including President Biden.
“We will have 100,000 Democratic delegates, spouses and all descend into our city. And it will be a real challenge for the new mayor… to get this city back in shape from a public safety standpoint. We have to keep our guests safe We need to show that our city is a safe place to come And if we don’t get that all right in the next few months, if we don’t create a safe public transportation system, if we don’t “If we don’t have clean airports that don’t have being shelters for the homeless, no one will want to come here. Everyone would rather have a remote convention than come to the city of Chicago,” Lopez said. “So I think it’s imperative that the new mayor listen to what our concerns are and our suggestions are, how the city can get be brought before when the convention takes place. That’s a great platform for him, especially as the new mayor, who I’m sure will get the stage in his home city to welcome everyone. You don’t want to welcome people who are still being robbed on Michigan Avenue.”
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
