Chicago's Mayor, Brandon Johnson, recently expressed his frustration at a press conference when questioned about his postponed visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.
"I have children who attend schools who have soccer games, y'all," Johnson retorted, emphasizing his parental responsibilities in the city. "You know, you all are asking me as if I'm not a parent in this city. I get it, I'm mayor, but you're asking me to give you a date."
This query arose in the wake of Johnson's meeting with Governor JB Pritzker on Monday, where they deliberated over the city's escalating migrant crisis. According to WLS, a local ABC television station, over 35,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago in the past eighteen months.
The Governor has reportedly offered state funds to assist the city in managing the crisis and providing housing for migrants. However, the allocation of these funds to a specific project is yet to be determined.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, Mayor Johnson emphasized the need for a collective effort from all levels of government to address the ongoing border crisis. "This mission is going to take all of us," he stated. "There is a strong commitment still for the state, county, and city to continue to challenge the federal government to respond to this international crisis."
Mayor Johnson, who assumed office in May of the previous year, had previously pledged to personally visit the U.S.-Mexico border to gain firsthand insight into the crisis. However, a trip planned for October was cancelled by the Mayor, who argued that his time would be better spent addressing immediate needs in Chicago. Instead, he dispatched a delegation of city officials to represent him.
When pressed about his plans to reschedule the visit, Johnson highlighted his demanding schedule in Chicago. "Do you understand that you have not had a mayor like me? I get that. I have a wife, I have children, they have schedules. And plus, we still have public safety that we have to address, we still have the unhoused that we have to address, I still have a budget that I have to address," Johnson explained. "And I'm doing all of that with a Black wife, raising three Black children on the west side of the city of Chicago. I am going to the border as soon as possible."
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