The conservative immigration organization, the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) located in Washington, D.C., has released its rankings for “America’s Ten Worst Sanctuary Mayors,” with Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson leading the chart. Announced on Tuesday, this list identifies mayors of prominent sanctuary cities—locations known for their limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement—including New York City’s Eric Adams and Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C.
Elected in April 2023, Mayor Johnson has been critiqued by IRLI for affirming Chicago’s stance as a sanctuary city through an executive order, initiating an office for illegal migrants’ support, and attributing the city’s crime surge during the July 4th weekend to policies of past President Richard Nixon, among other decisions.
IRLI has voiced concerns regarding Johnson’s policies, suggesting that they cater more to anti-border groups than the city’s residents, leading to discontent and protests from locals. They argue that such an approach positions Johnson as the least favorable mayor regarding immigration stance.
Chicago, recognized for its sanctuary city status, faces challenges amidst a broader asylum crisis, taking in over 43,000 migrants since August 2022. The city, which used nearly $150 million for migrant care, finds the current housing situation “unsustainable,” as per Mayor Johnson during a June press briefing. The influx is set to increase with the arrival of more migrants before the Democratic National Convention later in the month.
Sanctuary cities typically employ policies restricting local law cooperation with federal immigration agencies, a standpoint criticized by IRLI for attracting illegal migrants with criminal tendencies into their jurisdictions.
“Sanctuary policies are major factors enticing illegal aliens into the country, with sanctuary mayors loudly endorsing these policies,” Dale Wilcox, the executive director and general counsel of IRLI, remarked. He further expressed that such mayoral policies result in excessive overcrowding, criminality, and deaths within those communities.
Following Johnson on the IRLI list are Mayors Eric Adams, Michael Johnston of Denver, Kelly Girtz of Athens in Georgia, Muriel Bowser, Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Mary-Ann Baldwin of Raleigh in North Carolina, Reed Guscoria of Trenton in New Jersey, Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio, and Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento.
