Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson To Joe Biden: We Will Never Turn Our Back On Migrants, Please Let 500,000 Migrants Work

On April 4, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called upon President Biden to extend work permits to nearly 500,000 undocumented immigrants now in Illinois. Mayor Johnson stressed that his city is committed to inclusivity and providing economic opportunities to all residents, regardless of their immigration status.

During a roundtable discussion with urban Business leaders, Mayor Johnson pointed out the importance of granting work permits to undocumented individuals, allowing them to contribute to and build a better life within the city of Chicago and beyond, Fox News reported.

The roundtable attendees noted the importance of granting work permits to approximately 480,000 undocumented immigrants in Illinois, representing about 3 percentof the state’s population. Among this group are 320,000 Mexican residents and 40,000 Black residents from countries like Haiti, Jamaica, Nigeria, and others, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

“I want to make this emphatically clear: Chicago will never turn its back on people who wish to call the city of Chicago their home,” Mayor Johnson affirmed.

Mayor Johnson, marking his one-year anniversary in office, penned a letter to the Biden administration advocating for the issuance of additional work permits, garnering support from numerous city mayors including those from Denver, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco.

“We remain steadfast in our belief that a more inclusive and equitable future for all residents is truly possible, whether they arrived here yesterday or have been here for an extended period of time,” Mayor Johnson stated.

The issue of work permits for undocumented immigrants has been pressing, with city leaders expressing concerns over overcrowded shelters and the strain on resources due to the iNFLux of migrants. This year’s work permits are set to expire on April 24, prompting urgent appeals to extend and expand permit eligibility.

In February, over 40 mayors united in a call to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou, urging for automatic extensions of existing work permits for at least 540 days.

According to local Business leaders, there are potential economic benefits of issuing work permits to undocumented immigrants such as a positive impact on the local economy and the independence it could afford migrants from government support.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, photo via Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/C5W3K77NTlK/?hl=en&img_index=1