Chicago Democrat torches city leaders as clinics, schools closed to make way for migrants

A South Side Chicago activist, who launched a state representative bid in hopes of curbing the repercussions of the Windy City's sanctuary status, said on Wednesday that city leaders need to understand "illegal" means "illegal."

Chicago Against Violence founder Andre Smith told Fox News the burgeoning migrant crisis in the city is not the fault of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott – as city leaders have claimed – but Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson.

"Seeing our homeless on the [streets] and crime is at an all-time high, you know you can't make ‘illegal’ ‘legal’ no matter… how you do it," Smith said.

Johnson however, said recently his office has "responded to this humanitarian mission with the full force of government," before calling Abbott "reckless" for sending buses "all over the state of Illinois."

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Recently arrived migrants in a makeshift shelter operated by the city of Chicago at OHare International Airport on Aug. 31, 2023. ((Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))

Smith said he has launched a Democratic primary bid for the Illinois State House, where he will be challenging Rep. Kimberly du Buclet according to local reports.

Smith also recounted being arrested last year after he and two other men protested in front of a defunct school that officials began sending migrants to for sheltering purposes.

"In the community that I was born in, which is called Woodlawn in the city of Chicago, I did get arrested. I heard that they were bringing the migrants in on a CTA bus that was paid for by taxpayers' money... So I stood in front of the bus, and I refused for the illegal migrants to get into the Wadsworth School," he said.

"A lot of schools closed because of lack of funding. And how do you think those children feel now that they're driving past and walking past the schools that they were rejected from that now, migrants are living in?" Smith asked.

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Smith said the United States is a nation of laws, and therefore every person in the country should be held to the same legal standard, arguing that migrants are not.

He said that dubbing a municipality a "sanctuary city" should not moot legal standards.

Smith said if he is elected to office 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.

However, Smith also praised a suburban city's councilman for remarks that "America Reports" host Sandra Smith reported were initially misconstrued.

Naperville Councilman Josh McBroom proposed that his affluent Democratic leaning community voluntarily open their homes to migrants. 

Initially, McBroom was reportedly criticized on the political right, until the comments were clarified as instead a challenge to people in Naperville with pro-sanctuary or pro-migrant yard signs and slogans.

Smith said McBroom is therefore the rare Illinois public official who understands the migrant crisis and the negative effects it has had on communities.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..