Chicago’s 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale expressed frustration with City Hall providing free benefits to illegal immigrants, arguing that the generous welfare allotments are acting as an incentive for more to come to the city.
He highlighted that illegal immigrants are receiving over $9,000 a month in childcare, housing vouchers, food, clothing, education, legal aid, and other services.
Beale said, “Now, I’ve said this before. If you give me 3 meals, housing, childcare, education, a voucher for $9,000. You know what? I’d come to Chicago too.”
Chicago 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale Says Illegal Immigrants Are Getting $9,000 Housing Vouchers, Food, Free Childcare & More
“Now, I've said this before. If you give me 3 meals, housing, childcare, education, a voucher for $9,000 You know what? I come to Chicago too. And… pic.twitter.com/KFemIB2MCZ
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“And that’s what they’re doing. They’re telling people and they’re sending money back to Chicago — I mean, back to Venezuela — to come to Chicago because they’re saying, hey, the good times are rolling there. They’re taking care of everybody,” continued the lawmaker.
Beale asked, “Now, when we have, when we have Venezuelans that are driving cars — where did they get a driver’s license? Where did they get insurance from? And then you have Venezuelans being caught with drugs and guns, where are they getting them from?”
Beale criticized the situation, pointing out instances of illegal immigrants driving cars, obtaining driver’s licenses, and being caught with drugs and guns.
He also opposed the city’s “sanctuary city” status and attempted to have a ballot measure allowing voters to decide on the issue, but ultimately lost the battle due to the opposition’s reframing of the question.
Beale previously said, “Right now, we’re dealing with a huge, huge disaster here in the city of Chicago and we need to get a handle on it. Nobody has ever asked the voters, the people who actually vote and pay taxes here in the city of Chicago, if they want to remain a sanctuary city.”