Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Clashes with reporter Over Use of ‘Illegal Aliens’
CHICAGO – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter Tuesday after objecting to the term “illegal aliens” during a press conference addressing recent arrests made during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation. The confrontation underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy and terminology,particularly within sanctuary cities like Chicago.
The exchange occurred as the mayor was questioned about Operation Midway Blitz, a DHS initiative targeting criminal illegal aliens in Illinois, launched last month following the death of Katie Abraham, allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant driver. Johnson took issue with the reporter’s phrasing, arguing it was dehumanizing and inaccurate.
“I think it’s vital that we use people’s humanity first and foremost,” Johnson stated, according to video of the exchange. “I don’t think ‘illegal aliens’ is the appropriate terminology. We should be referring to people as… individuals.”
The DHS launched Operation Midway blitz with the stated goal of “target[ing] criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in sanctuary Illinois.” last week, the operation resulted in the arrest of three illegal immigrants and six U.S. citizens in the Chicago area,which DHS officials described as “one of the most violent days” of the operation.
The operation was initiated in response to the death of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a hit-and-run allegedly committed by Julio Cucul-Bol, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.
Johnson has previously expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of increased law enforcement and incarceration, stating, “Jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness that has not led to safe communities.”
The Chicago mayor’s office and Rep. Pramila Jayapal did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
