Andre Smith called out the Windy City for using funds to shelter migrants while Chicagoans struggle
Lawrence Jones tours Chicago as the migrant crisis continues
‘Fox & Friends’ co-host Lawrence Jones tours Chicago with Illinois Democratic House candidate Andre Smith to see how the influx of illegal immigrants has affected the city
A Chicago Democrat running for the Illinois House is calling out Mayor Brandon Johnson for allowing migrants to "invade" the Windy City.
"Fox & Friends" co-host Lawrence Jones visited the sanctuary city to witness the crisis firsthand and walk the streets with candidate Andre Smith.
Smith told Jones that the city's schools, park districts and apartments have been used for placing migrants and displacing Chicago residents.
"The money is coming from the hard-owned taxpayers, taxpayers' dollars that don't have the luxury now to go to the park in their community because migrants are there," Smith said in the interview that aired Tuesday.
"It's an invasion."
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Smith showed Jones two shuttered buildings now sheltering migrants – an academy for young women and a health center that once serviced patients struggling financially. Smith said both were closed due to lack of funds.
"You tell us that there's no funding or the lack of funding. But then you bring migrants in and make them shelters. That's not the American way," Smith said.
"They have the funding. And every now and then they say, ‘Hey, we found more millions, we found more money.’"
A 91-year-old Chicago resident told Jones that Johnson "can't handle" the challenges facing the city.
"This job was not cut for him," Collean Fuller said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the redistribution of illegal immigrants from the southern border to Chicago.
Jones added that he reached out to the mayor's office for comment but did not hear back.
Johnson said recently his office has "responded to this humanitarian mission with the full force of government," before calling Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott "reckless" for sending migrant buses "all over the state of Illinois."
Smith previously told Fox News if elected he will pursue a recall of Johnson, who defeated fellow left-wing Mayor Lori Lightfoot last year.
He added that Chicago's sanctuary status should be put up for a popular referendum by the city's voters.
Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.
