Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson may be souring on President Joe Biden as illegal immigrants continue to enter the city of Chicago and the White House provides little help.
In a Sunday evening phone call, which was confirmed by the White House, the Illinois leader pressed White House officials on plans to aid the state, specifically the city of Chicago, as the influx of illegal immigrants strains resources. According to CNN, the call featured Pritzker and Johnson demanding assistance from the federal government to address the increasing number of immigrants arriving in the city, especially as leaders expect Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) to increase the number of immigrants being bused to cities across the country.
EPA STATE GRANTS COULD FUND GREEN POLICIES DEMOCRATS COULDN’T GET AT FEDERAL LEVEL
A falling out with Pritzker could be a particularly brutal hit for Biden’s reelection campaign, as the top Democratic governor is both a surrogate for him and a member of the campaign’s national advisory board.
The number of illegal immigrants who have arrived in the city in the past year or so lies around 15,000. This, plus any additional immigrants sent by border states such as Texas, poses a concern as Chicago braces for winter.
White House officials on the call, intergovernmental affairs director Tom Perez and chief of staff Jeff Zients, urged the city to implement programs similar to those in New York City, such as working to help illegal immigrants get work permits. This wasn’t particularly welcome advice for the leaders, considering the pleas New York’s politicians have made for federal help.
Further, Pritzker reportedly wrote a letter to Biden on Monday demanding that the president respond to the problem of illegal immigration at the southern border. He asked that Biden take the lead on ushering in a coordinated response at the border.
In a statement, a White House spokesperson said, “President Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform since his first day in office.”
“Without the help of Congress, the Administration has been taking action: since May 12, we have removed or returned over a quarter million individuals. We have moved to accelerate the processing of work permits – working to decrease the median processing time from many from 90 to 30 days. We have sent more than 1.4 million emails and text messages to migrants that are eligible to work, reminding them to apply for work permits. And we have provided communities across the country who are supporting recently arrived migrants with all of the $1 billion in grant funding that Congress appropriated.”
“We will continue to work closely with Illinois and states and cities across the country,” they added.
The Biden administration contradicted reports of the phone call with the Illinois Democrats, indicating that the call was productive and part of ongoing discussions of the immigration issue. Further, the White House pointed to the more than $46 million in grant funding Chicago and Illinois have received to address the influx of immigrants.
Abbott has been busing illegal immigrants to cities across the United States, which advertise themselves as sanctuaries for those who are illegally in the country, since 2022.
The surge of illegal immigrants in New York City and the lack of federal help from Biden has driven a wedge between the White House and Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY). Both leaders have pleaded with the administration to help with the problem. Adams is reportedly not on speaking terms with the president due to his inaction, while Hochul appears to be civil with Biden.
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A similar fate is possible for Biden’s relationships with Pritzker and Johnson if he ignores their calls for help. The emerging fractures among prominent Democrats could further spell bad news for Biden in what already promises to be a close election in 2024.
Pritzker did not provide comment to the Washington Examiner.
