At the shelter run by volunteers overseen by Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, asylum-seekers were promised safety and help to settle in the city in early May. But efforts stagnated and the shelter is troubled, say some of the migrants living there. “But many are scared to speak because we have nowhere else to go,” one migrant said. “Es lo mismo que allá, opinas y te meten preso,” she added, explaining that she feels oppressed

When the Oak Park village board first embarked on cultural competency training, its first session was dedicated to deconstructing what racial equity really is and the myths surrounding it. That deconstruction work continued during the board’s second session but evolved into a discussion of how the prevalence of the English language in the United States has been used to assert cultural dominance.

Mayor Brandon Johnson promised during the campaign to raise $800 million in new revenue, all without touching property taxes, which are typically how cities come up with the money they need in a pinch. But with ideas like a financial transactions tax and a business head tax already hitting roadblocks in Springfield and the City Council, some supporters say an income tax on high earners may be one of the mayor’s only remaining options for raising significant revenues.

Ald. Eleanor Revelle is concerned about Northwestern’s plan to divert groundwater for the new stadium and send it to the North Shore Channel. She said the diversion could cause the earth to sink and deprive area trees of groundwater. Revelle’s potential opposition could be crucial in a town where progressive politics and environmental issues weigh heavily.

Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski worries about what he fears the city of Chicago appears to be setting itself up for. “With all the high crime, bad schools and empty downtown office buildings we’re seeing, the city is facing the real risk of being stuck in the doom loop, where things across the board just continue to spiral out of control,” he said. “I think it all starts with all the high taxes that pose such a big problem for all the businesses.”

In June, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools officials announced that school employees would get up to 12 weeks of paid paternity leave. That move has resulted in CPD wanting the same amount of paternal leave. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara said he would take the city to court over the issue.

Proponents argue the proposal would be a win for migrants in Chicago, and for local hotels which are reporting more than 2,100 job openings. “It’s a perfect storm of the highest business levels we’ve ever seen, but then labor shortages throughout the city,” said Juan Leyva, general manager of the London House.

“No one should be surprised over tension between migrants and Black Americans,” says Adrian Norman, a member of the Black leadership network Project 21, which is affiliated with the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research. “There are destabilized communities across the entire country that have produced horrible outcomes for Black folks for decades, and there is a case to be made that those communities should be prioritized over individuals who forced their way into the country unlawfully.”

Kennedy Bartley is taking over as the next executive director of United Working Families, the group that helped elect Chicago’s new left-wing leadership. “I think when we’re talking about building true working-class, anti-racist, anti-capitalist power, we have to have a coalition, we have to have a united front.”

Author Ed Bachrach: “Mistake No. 1: (New York) City officials prioritized placating special interests when the city didn’t have the money to do so and often took on debt to keep certain people happy…This is Chicago’s budget process known as ‘where’s mine.'”

The estimated budget hole of $85.6 million is larger than the $18.2 million gap projected this time last year, but still one of the county’s smallest deficits in the last decade. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has said there will be no new taxes, fees or hikes of any kind to help close the projected gap. Instead, the county plans to rely on belt-tightening across agencies and departments.