Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson criticized a reporter for using the term “illegal aliens” during a press conference, calling the phrase “racist.”
In a video posted Saturday to the mayor’s official Instagram account, Johnson was asked about city spending related to “illegal aliens.” He quickly responded, “We don’t have illegal aliens.”
“I don’t know if that’s from some sort of sci-fi message that you wish you’ve had… Well listen, the legal term for my people were slaves. You want me to use that term too? So, look, let’s just get the language right. We’re talking about undocumented individuals that are human beings,” Johnson said.
The mayor added that he would not “accept that type of racist, nasty language to describe human beings.”
Johnson went on to highlight his administration’s budget priorities, pointing to the city’s $16.7 billion budget, which he argued is an investment in education, transportation, housing, and other programs.
“And we are going to challenge the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share,” Johnson added.
Johnson’s remarks align with similar statements from other left-wing lawmakers who have refused to use terms such as “illegal aliens” or “illegal immigrants.” Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington supported his comments, arguing that immigrants who are in the country illegally are not committing a criminal offense by violating immigration law.
“It is very important that people in Illinois and across the country understand the immigration system is a civil system,” she said, according to Fox News. “Undocumented presence in the United States is not a criminal offense. And so thank you for the clarification on language.”
Johnson has repeatedly opposed federal enforcement actions targeting illegal immigration in Chicago. Last month, the federal government launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” an effort to address illegal immigration and related crime in the city, which Johnson has declined to support.
