Chicago mayor-elect Johnson to double down on sanctuary city policies, despite migrant busing furor

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Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson speaks at election night victory event

Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson spoke to supporters after defeating Paul Vallas in Tuesday's election. (WFLD)

The new progressive mayor-elect of Chicago is promising to double down on the Windy City’s already liberal immigration and "sanctuary city" policies — even as the deep-blue city has been crying foul over moves to send more illegal immigrants.

Progressive Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson defeated his moderate opponent, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, to take the Chicago mayor’s race, replacing outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who came in third before the runoff.

Chicago is a self-described "sanctuary city" — meaning it bars local and state law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. 

Johnson’s campaign declared that the city must "extend" that promise.

"Chicago is a sanctuary city. As such, we must always resist attempts to pit communities against each other and extend this sanctuary promise to everyone who needs it in our city — both long-time residents and newcomers alike," his website says.

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Union organizer and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson speaks after being projected winner as mayor in Chicago on Tuesday. Johnson won in a tough runoff against the more conservative Paul Vallas after the two outpolled incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot in February. (Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)

Johnson’s campaign website stressed that he will "ensure law enforcement does not cooperation with ICE to arrest, detain or deport our migrant neighbors."

However, the mayor-elect sees that "sanctuary promise" as going well beyond merely non-cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement:

"Our public schools must be sanctuaries for all children by investing in dual language programs, ethnic studies and English as a Second Language (ESL). We must coordinate efforts with local communities with the infrastructure to support displaced immigrants and refugees, and coordinate efforts at all levels of government to provide humane conditions for everyone."

Johnson also wants to provide "permanent housing for all unhouse, including asylum seekers" and increase funding for an already existing legal protection fund that helps immigrants avoid deportation.

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He also wishes to appoint "non-citizen representation" to a Chicago commission for public safety and to a Chicago Board of Education Non-Citizen Advisory Board, while pushing for the state to allow for parents to vote in school board elections — even if they are not citizens.

When it comes to children, Johnson wants to "recruit and train enough teachers and clinicians to provide the capacity to support migrant and immigrant children, including bilingual professionals." Additionally, children in Chicago will have "fully funded ethnic studies and bilingual education and dual language programs, where students learn their home country’s histories and cultures, in addition to learning English."

But the plethora of pro-immigrant policies comes just as Chicago has been battling with other states over an influx of migrants into its city from those states.

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Outgoing Mayor Lightfoot was one of a number of liberal mayors who took aim at Republican governors in states such as Texas, who bussed migrants to Chicago and other sanctuary cities in response to the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border.

They had also taken aim at least one Democratic governor, writing a furious letter to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis when his state began sending migrants to Chicago and New York City.

"These actions do not live up to the values of a proclaimed welcoming state and should stop immediately," Lightfoot and NYC Mayor Eric Adams wrote. Colorado subsequently stopped the busing after a "very productive" conversation with the two mayors.

The ongoing flow of migrants to Chicago has also led to political tensions within the city. In January, residents in one neighborhood protested plans to establish a migrant center in a former elementary school.

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"There is a lack of resources in our community, we don’t need anyone else to come in and suck those up. We're tired, Ms. Lightfoot," one resident told Fox 32.

In February, there were similar concerns from local residents when officials moved to house migrants at a vacant Kmart. The move was later postponed after objections from locals.

Fox News' Houston Keene and Sarah Rumpf contributed to this report.