Midwest
Chicago residents rip mayor over spending on migrants: 'Worst mayor in America’
Residents of Chicago are blasting Mayor Brandon Johnson over the city spending more than half a billion dollars on sheltering migrants, with one telling the Democrat to his face during a City Council meeting that he’s the “worst mayor in America.”
The criticism surrounding Johnson and Chicago’s New Arrivals Mission – which so far has cost the city $574.5 million since its inception in August 2022 – comes as the mayor is trying to overcome a $1 billion budget shortfall by the end of the year. The City Council held a meeting Monday during which residents voiced their opposition to an approximately $60 million property tax increase floated as one way to help close the gap.
“I got a great way what we can do with this budget. First, let’s start with cutting off illegals getting free everything, free housing, free schooling, free food. Yeah, let’s start with that. That’ll save us a lot of money,” one woman told Johnson.
“Let’s start there. Then, let’s start with you. Your salary. You are going down in history as the worst mayor in America. Let’s start with cutting yours. You making too much money,” she continued.
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Chicago residents on Monday criticized Mayor Brandon Johnson for the city’s spending when it comes to supporting migrants. (City of Chicago)
Another resident told Johnson that she is an immigrant who came to the U.S. legally and that she is “very, very embarrassed for what my other fellow Latin American citizens are doing in this city on behalf of the people that work, on behalf of the people that pay taxes, on behalf of the people that contribute to the city.
“I like to make clear that not everyone is the same. These people came with a wide door open, and they feel entitled to many things that nobody has. There are U.S. citizens suffering from poverty,” she said. “There are U.S. citizens on public aid, and these people are here just enjoying the benefits, becoming delinquents, and they have no consequences.”
At one point in the meeting, a resident asked Johnson for his “undivided attention.”
“So this just proves to you the lack of leadership that you show in this city. You can’t even give me straight eye contact,” he said. “Now I’m going to let you know now, the people of Chicago, we’re done with you.
Johnson’s office said in April that the goal of the New Arrivals Mission is to “provide short-term, emergency shelter to manage this humanitarian crisis, while making long-term investments in the City’s capacity to handle future challenges related to displacement and emerging migration patterns.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gives an update on migrant issues at City Hall on Jan. 29, 2024, in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“Since August 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has bussed hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers across the United States. The City of Chicago has received the third-most asylum seekers of all major cities in the country, behind New York City and Denver, with nearly 39,000 new arrivals arriving in the City,” it added at the time.
“The City of Chicago, in partnership with the State of Illinois and Cook County, has worked to support new arrivals on the path to self-sufficiency by providing basic necessities including food, temporary emergency shelter, urgent medical care, education, vaccines, and case management and resettlement supports,” the city also said.
As of the end of this year, the New Arrivals Mission shelter system will be phased out.
“This transition is in line with the sharp decline in migration to Chicago and our current budget realities,” Johnson said in October. “We are shifting to a more cost-effective, equitable, and strategic approach that addresses homelessness for all who need support in the City of Chicago.”
People walk outside a migrant shelter in Chicago in March. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday by Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.
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Midwest
Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather
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Dramatic videos show federal Border Patrol agents taking two men into custody at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota, as agitators continue to taunt and disrupt authorities in the area.
The videos, posted to X on Sunday afternoon, quickly drew thousands of views and appear to show Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino ordering a crowd to move back as federal agents attempted to remove a man from a vehicle parked at the gas station.
Multiple federal agents surrounded the parked vehicle as authorities repeatedly instructed bystanders to step back.
“Back up, guys, back up,” Bovino says in the video. “We’re going to back you on up for our safety and your safety… Stay there.”
GOV WALZ AUTHORIZES NATIONAL GUARD STAGING FOLLOWING FATAL ICE SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS
The videos appear to show Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino ordering a crowd to move back as federal agents work to remove a man from a vehicle parked at the gas station. (FNTV)
Moments later, agents force a man wearing a brown jacket to the ground and place him in handcuffs as agitators shout and car horns blare in the background.
Three agents are then seen carrying the man away from the scene by his arms and one of his legs.
In another tense moment captured on video, a Border Patrol agent again orders bystanders to move back.
After a man appears to resist, the situation escalates as several agents tackle him and place him in handcuffs.
TOM EMMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTION THAT MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL
Agents appear to force a man wearing a brown jacket to the ground and place him in handcuffs as agitators shout and car horns blare in the background. (FNTV)
He is then carried away by his arms and legs.
The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions in the Twin Cities following a fatal shooting Wednesday during a federal immigration enforcement operation, when 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent.
Federal officials said Good attempted to drive her vehicle toward agents during the encounter, a claim disputed by family members and some local leaders.
ICE OFFICER WHO SHOT MINNESOTA WOMAN WAS DRAGGED BY CAR OF ILLEGAL ALIEN SEX OFFENDER MONTHS EARLIER
Videos appear to show federal Border Patrol agents taking two men into custody at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota. (FNTV)
The shooting led to agitators taking to the streets and heightened scrutiny of federal enforcement activity in the city, contributing to repeated confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and for U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Detroit, MI
Thompson: The new year brings a promising future for Detroit students
Detroit Public Schools Community District often gets a bad rap due to declining enrollment issues or longstanding challenges that led to the historic takeover of the school system before voters returned it to an elected board.
And in many cases, that is the lens through which the school system’s performance is examined and viewed across the state. But there are hidden stories of progress within a school system that is still struggling to define itself and to give young Detroiters hope for a meaningful future.
I saw that first-hand last week at Denby High School, part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, on the city’s east side, where hundreds of young Black and Brown male students gathered in the basketball gym for the annual policing and prosperity forum.
The annual event initiated and led by tenacious Detroiter Sharlonda Buckman, the district’s assistant superintendent for family and community engagement, is one of the hidden jewels of the public school system and brings together male students from various high schools to discuss their interaction with law enforcement. On the panel were senior and junior police officers from the Detroit Police Department, as well as the district’s public safety chief, Labrit Jackson, all of whom took hard questions from the students about how to navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system.
Before the start of the forum, I met three students: 17-year-old Justin Montgomery, 17-year-old Exavier Ward and 16-year-old Wesley Lewis, all students of Denby.
The three of them live on the east side and are serious and determined students who believe they have an obligation to be worthy ambassadors of their communities.
“I just got a scholarship from Cleary University for track and field and cross country and I just signed the papers so I can be committed,” Ward told me. “I am excited for the new year and I’m ready to live my adult life.”
His parents are also joyful about his future because, “out of all of my siblings, I’m going to be the first one to go to college. I want to major in cybersecurity,” he says.
Montgomery is scouting Oakland University or Central Michigan University and is also interested in a trades school. He’s keeping his options open.
“I have been here for a while and I’m ready to get out of high school. The experience has been good for me,” he says.
For Lewis, graduating in 2027 will make him the first in his family to be committed to college. That alone keeps him upbeat for the new year as he prepares for the challenges and the pressures of being an 11th grade student.
“I’m really ready to go to college. I’m looking at Kentucky State University, Wayne State University and Michigan State University,” he says. “I probably would major in music in college because I currently play the piano. But sometimes I get nervous about college because I feel like it is going to be harder than high school.”
These impressive young men speak to the vitality of the school system and the need to continue to nurture and support them.
The forum on policing and prosperity reinforces that need.
“This forum is so important because we give the students an opportunity to have a voice and talk about the things that are important to them and how they interact with law enforcement,” says Marty Bulger, the district’s senior director of male mentoring.
“Even a more dynamic piece is the fact that because the city has seen a reduction in violent crime, we believe as we reach our young people, we will continue to see a decline. These young men are our future leaders.”
X (formerly Twitter): @BankoleDetNews
bankole@bankolethompson.com
Bankole Thompson’s columns appear on Mondays and Thursdays in The Detroit News.
Milwaukee, WI
Pregnant Milwaukee woman killed; suspect appears in court on arson charges
MILWAUKEE – New details are emerging in the death of a pregnant woman found dead after a house fire investigators say was intentionally set, as the man charged in the case appeared in court.
What we know:
21-year-old Cameron Washington appeared Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where prosecutors outlined allegations tying him to the death of 22-year-old Gladys Johnson-Ball.
Washington faces six felony charges, including first-degree recklessly endangering safety and arson, all connected to the fire that broke out the night of Jan. 5.
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According to the criminal complaint, Johnson-Ball was the mother of Washington’s 3-year-old daughter and was pregnant with another child at the time of her death. Investigators say Washington lived with Johnson-Ball and her family at a home near 26th and Locust.
Police were called to the home for reports of a person with a weapon. When officers arrived, they reported seeing flames on the second floor of the house. While clearing the home, officers found Johnson-Ball unconscious in a bedroom that was on fire.
She was taken outside and pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators noted Johnson-Ball had bruises across her body and blood coming from her nose and mouth, according to the complaint.
The complaint says Johnson-Ball’s mother told police Washington and her daughter had been inside the bedroom together all day and that family members had been unable to reach her. She told investigators Washington would not allow anyone inside the room and pointed a gun at family members.
What they’re saying:
“He was blocking the door like, ‘No you not getting in here,’ then I turned around and that’s when he pointed the gun at my daughter Kayla,” said Michelle Johnson, the victim’s mother.
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Family members told investigators the fire started moments later in the bedroom and Washington ran away from the house. He was later arrested, and police say a lighter was found in his pocket.
“Ultimately, this is extremely dangerous and deliberate behavior,” said Assistant District Attorney Anthony Moore.
Dig deeper:
In court, Washington’s bond was set at $100,000. Prosecutors said he could face more than 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey noted Washington has not yet been charged with homicide because the medical examiner’s report was not completed when charges were filed.
What’s next:
Washington’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 20.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
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