CHICAGO – An emotional memorial service was held in the Woodlawn neighborhood June 10 for Luis Alberto Aguilar Peres, a 26-year-old father who had traveled from Venezuela in search of a better life.
Peres, who died suddenly June 2, had lived in a former school in Woodlawn which has been turned into a city-run migrant shelter. It’s one of several set up to deal with the many immigrants sent to Chicago by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Since August 2022, more than 11,000 immigrants have been sent to Chicago from Texas.
At stormy public meetings earlier this year, some residents of the South Side objected vigorously to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposals to use former schools and other facilities as migrant shelters.
The mass media quickly portrayed the controversy as an instance of African Americans and immigrants fighting each other. The reality is more complex. It is certainly true that a small percentage of Chicagoans – including some Black Chicagoans — are anti-immigrant. However, most of the Chicago residents who expressed anger at public hearings were outraged at the administration of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot for its refusal to consult with neighborhood residents before it acted.
The real spirit of Chicago can be seen in the many individuals who have come forward to help — donating food, clothing, and time. For example, the funeral for Luis Alberto Aguilar Peres was held in Concord Missionary Baptist Church. This church near the shelter where Peres died has a predominantly African American congregation. Since February, the church has been part of a city-backed initiative called Chicago 4 All. Begun with a bilingual weekly church service, this effort has grown into a program offering care packages, English classes, weekly soccer games and a “neighborhood beautification project” for migrants.
On May 31, a stormy Chicago City Council meeting voted to allocate $51 million to care for migrants through the end of June. Despite objections from some of her constituents, Alderman Jeanette Taylor voted for the funding.
In a heartfelt speech to the council, Taylor described the legitimate grievances of residents of the South Side and West Side: “I’m so tired of, when it’s a crisis for everybody else, we go: ‘We gotta do something.’ But, when we’re having this violence in the Black community, nothing gets said or nothing gets done,” Taylor said. “But that doesn’t mean we have to hurt or disrespect or be rude to anybody else.”
In her remarks, Taylor also demanded that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker act to stop Texas Gov. Greg Abbott from continuing to use vulnerable people as political pawns in Chicago. The money voted by the Chicago City Council only extends through the end of June, with no state or federal funding in sight. The situation is becoming critical. Pritzker, Illinois state officials, and the Illinois delegation in the U.S. Congress must be compelled to stop the governor of Texas’s cynical ploy!
Chris Mahin is a writer, speaker and teacher on contemporary U.S. politics and history, particularly on the significance of the American Revolutionary War and Civil war eras for today. He is the Electoral Desk on the People’s Tribune Editorial Board.
This is how we Chicagoans roll!