CHICAGO, Illinois — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed four executive orders hours after he was sworn in as the city’s newest and most liberal leader, including one that would create deputy mayors for immigrant and refugee rights.
Johnson’s predecessor, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, also a Democrat, declared a state of emergency last week over the growing migrant crisis engulfing the city.
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She authorized emergency funds to deal with the thousands of immigrants seeking asylum who have settled in Chicago and are struggling to live under harsh conditions, at times sleeping on the floors at police stations and on the streets for weeks on end. The emergency declaration, which also asked for help from the Illinois National Guard, came after more than 8,000 immigrants showed up in the Windy City over the past 10 months. Thousands from Central and South America were bused in from Texas after the influx at the southern border stretched the state’s resources.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) began filling buses and sending them to “welcoming” cities such as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Lightfoot had vowed to greet immigrants with “opening arms” and blasted Abbott for his “cruelty,” but soon found out that the strain of having to find housing, food, and medical health has strained the city’s capabilities.
During his inauguration speech on Monday, Johnson, a former union organizer and public school teacher, reiterated that Chicago would be able to meet the demands of refugees.
“We don’t want our story to be told that we were unable to house or provide safe harbor for those who are seeking refuge here,” he said. “There is enough room for everybody in the city of Chicago, whether you are seeking asylum or you are looking for fully funded neighborhoods.”
After signing the four executive orders, the mayor’s office sent out a news release in which Johnson said, “As your Mayor, it’s my duty to take bold, immediate action to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago.”
Another executive order boosts youth employment by instructing the city’s Office of Budget and Management to analyze resources in the fiscal 2023 budget and find money available to fund youth employment and enrichment programs. The order also instructs the mayor’s office to work with the city’s sister agencies and city departments to free up summer internships and community service opportunities.
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A third order establishes a deputy mayor for community safety, who will focus on identifying and eradicating the “root causes of crime and violence” and come up with a comprehensive approach to promote community safety.
The fourth creates a deputy mayor for labor relations.
