Congressman García Applauds Chicago City Council Vote on Welcoming City Ordinance

WASHINGTON, DC– Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement after the Chicago City Council stalled efforts to dismantle the Welcoming City Ordinance:

“Today, Chicago lived its values. I applaud the alderpeople who made clear with today’s vote that Chicago is a welcoming city for all, regardless of citizenship. I am proud to live in a sanctuary city. 

“The attempts to sow division in our communities and blame newly arrived migrants for  decades of disinvestment are dangerous. I strongly condemn these political stunts.

“Together with my colleagues in Congress, I will continue to fight for the federal resources and policy changes our city needs to support all its residents. We must remember that pitting communities against each other only benefits the status quo. The only way forward is in solidarity.”

In March of 1985, Mayor Harold Washington signed an executive order ending the city's practice of asking job and license applicants about their U.S. citizenship and halting cooperation by city agencies with federal immigration authorities. In 2011, as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Rep. García helped put an end to Cook County’s cooperation with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) by passing an ordinance that prevents County officials from detaining a person based on suspicion of being undocumented. That measure became the first of its kind in the nation, and more than 250 localities have followed Cook County’s lead.

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