Chicago’s City Council voted 34-13 on Wednesday to approve a $51 million budget amendment aimed at providing aide for illegal aliens who were bussed in from southern states just three months ago. Initially the amendment had been earmarked into what was considered routine budgetary legislation, sparking outrage and debate in the Chicago city council chamber for several weeks.

Not only is the city of Chicago giving the newly arrived illegal aliens housing, stimulus checks, and grants, but aldermans also plan to provide “Legal representation to expedite the citizenship granting process” among many other things.

While at the state level Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he intends to sign the recently approved state budget that dedicates $42.5 million to aiding immigrants and asylum-seekers in the state.

In total, Illinois tax-payers will have to foot a $93.5 million bill for a group of people who many point out have broken the law at every turn.

Citizens of the Chicago community let there voices be heard, often with heated rebuking and banter between the aldermans and their constituencies.

“How dare this mayor and City Council have the guts to give migrants $51 million dollars?” asked concerned citizen Andre Smith at the beginning of the council meeting. “I demand you to have the same passion and urgency to pass a city of Chicago reparations ordinance. And also to give us an office for Black Americans just like the Office of New Americans. We didn’t have the luxury or the opportunity to cross the border. We didn’t have the privilege to cross the border. We came over here… in the bottom of ships.”

Speaker after speaker demanded that the $51 million be spent on reparations or be spent on renovating the vacant schools in South and West Side communities that former Mayor and now Biden cabinet ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel had previously forced into closure.

“It’s not right and it’s not fair,” agreed alderman David Moore, who represents Chicago’s 17th Ward on the South Side.

The council is considered to be diverse, with 20 Black members, 14 white, 14 Latino and two Asian alders. However six veteran Black alders joined conservative white council members in their opposition while every newly elected alderperson voted for the measure.

Alderman Ray Lopez asked three questions: “Where the hell did the $112 million” go that the city has already spent on the migrant crisis? Where will the $51 million go? And what is the plan starting July 1, after the newest funds run out?

–Barrington Williams, B1, Daily