Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson holds a press briefing.
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00:00This is an opportunity, yet again, for us to walk through some of the matters that we
00:15are faced with as a city.
00:18I'm joined this afternoon with our Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, Garen Gatewood,
00:23our Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights, Beatrice Ponce de Leon, our
00:27Corporation Counsel, Mary Richardson-Laurie is also here, and you all know my Chief of
00:32Staff, Christina Pacillon-Zayas.
00:35This morning we want to briefly talk to you all about what we have seen in California over
00:42this past week and our own preparations here to keep all Chicagoans safe while protecting
00:49the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to assemble.
00:55When it comes to handling large-scale demonstrations, the Chicago Police Department, OEMC, and the
01:01Chicago Fire Department have extensive experience in ensuring the safety and the constitutionality
01:10of managing large-scale events.
01:14In the lead-up to the DNC, there were a number of questions around whether or not our Police
01:20Department was ready for large-scale protests.
01:24What we ended up seeing was that thousands of people were able to safely exercise their
01:29First Amendment rights with minimal issues.
01:33There will always be, unfortunately, a small minority who will take advantage of a protest
01:39or demonstration to cause chaos, but the vast majority of protesters remain peaceful and organized.
01:48Over the past two years, we have had experience in managing spontaneous protests as well as large
01:54demonstrations related to the war in Gaza in particular.
01:58Our goal in these cases remains the same.
02:00We want Chicagoans from all walks of life, young, old, able-bodied, and people with disabilities
02:08to be able to safely exercise their First Amendment rights.
02:13We also recognize that even in the midst of heightened political tension, the people of Chicago still
02:18need to get to work every single day.
02:22They still need us to drive down violence in our neighborhoods, which we still are.
02:28They still need ambulances as well as emergency services to be able to get through, so we have
02:33a responsibility to both protect the rights of protesters, but also to keep our city moving,
02:40no matter the circumstances.
02:43When it comes to the power of nonviolent protests, I want to make an emphatic point here.
02:49It was Dr. Keene that explained to us, I think he did an incredible job explaining this to
02:54us 60 years ago, where he said that the practical aspect of nonviolent resistance is that it exposes
03:01the moral defenses of the opponent.
03:04He has no answer for it, but if you use violence, he does have an answer.
03:11He has the state militia.
03:14That is exactly what we are seeing in Los Angeles.
03:19When a small number of protesters set things on fire, it plays into the hand of authoritarians
03:24like Donald Trump, who take advantage to ultimately repress all protesters.
03:34What we have seen in Los Angeles is really not about immigration.
03:39This is not about policy.
03:43This is about power.
03:46We have a tyrant in the White House who has a complete disregard for our Constitution and
03:55the dismissing of our democracy.
03:58The First Amendment of our Constitution clearly states that the federal government guarantees
04:02the right of the people to peaceably to assemble.
04:07The right to peacefully protest is so fundamental to our country that it is the very First Amendment
04:13of our Constitution.
04:15And when we talk about democracy, we are not talking about just voting every four years.
04:22In a democratic society, the people are in charge, and the government is responsive to the needs
04:28of everyday people.
04:32When we talk about democracy, we are not talking about some high and lofty idea.
04:38We are talking about A. Philip Randolph's definition.
04:42He says, a community is democratic only when the humblest and the weakest person can enjoy
04:49the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possesses.
04:58In a democratic society, it doesn't matter if you have billions of dollars or if you are
05:03living paycheck to paycheck.
05:07We should all have the same rights under the law.
05:10And that is why we stand up for our immigrant community.
05:13That is why we stand up for incarcerated people.
05:17That is why we stand up for working people.
05:22What we are seeing in California and across this country is an affront to that idea.
05:27We are seeing poor and working people being terrorized without due process.
05:34We continue to see families being ripped apart.
05:37While federal immigration enforcement have jurisdiction, we want to continue to assure that
05:42all Chicagoans know their rights.
05:45We will work with our community partners to continue to stand up for our immigrant community
05:48and for all of our people in our beloved city.
05:53Now I'm happy to answer any of the questions that you may have at this time.
05:57Okay.
05:59We'll start here with Justin.
06:00We have time for one question, one follow-up.
06:02We got to be quick because there's a lot of folks here.
06:05Hey, Mayor.
06:06On the rideshare ordinance, you know, you've said that you support workers, drivers, you
06:12know, having a boost to their wages, but you have not endorsed the ordinance specifically.
06:17What about the ordinance has not gained your support so far?
06:20Well, it's not a matter of whether or not it has my support or not.
06:23It's just a matter of making sure that we cover all of our bases, right?
06:29There's an entire review process that we go through to ensure that our pro-worker positions
06:35that we will work to codify will be able to stand up during, you know, whether it's
06:42criticism or protest.
06:44We're seeing now that there are some places in America that are having second thoughts
06:52about abolishing the sub-minimum wage, where here we are in the city of Chicago.
06:56We're holding firm to our values.
06:59So it's not about just getting it done.
07:00It's about getting it done right.
07:02Is there a portion that you don't think is currently right and needs to be changed before
07:06it goes up for a vote?
07:07What we do is we look at all of it in a very comprehensive way.
07:11And as the most pro-worker city in America, I'm confident that we'll be able to continue
07:15to find pathways to continue to strengthen our city as a pro-worker city.
07:22Good morning, Mr. Mayor.
07:24It is good afternoon.
07:25Oh, it is, isn't it?
07:27You're welcome.
07:28We've seen what happened in Los Angeles, the federal government bringing in not only
07:33National Guard, but also Marines.
07:36Has Chicago made any special preparations to accommodate that kind of federal presence
07:40in our city?
07:41And are we giving any kind of thought to protest zones and ways to keep the downtown area open
07:49and free for business while First Amendment protests are going on?
07:54Yeah.
07:55The first and foremost goal and our responsibility is to keep everyone safe and to protect the
08:01rights of the people of this city and around the country.
08:06And so constitutional policing is our prevailing form of leadership, and we will continue to
08:10ensure that constitutional policing is carried out.
08:13Look, we do this well.
08:15There were concerns that people had about my administration, lead it into the DNC, a lot of hyperbolic concerns,
08:21quite frankly.
08:23And look, we've demonstrated that we know how to protect people's right to assemble and
08:29to protect the Constitution while making sure that government continues to show up for people
08:36and that the everyday routines are not entirely interrupted.
08:40And as far as what our preparation will look like moving forward, we do know that this president is determined to insert chaos.
08:53Our responsibility locally is to continue to provide calm and structure to this situation.
08:59It's a really terrible moment in our nation's history where families are being ripped apart.
09:07And, you know, we also have just an absolutely criminalized approach towards governance.
09:18And this president clearly continues to show how low he will stoop, you know, in order to protect the interests of a handful of people.
09:27The fact of the matter is he's been president of the United States of America for less than 200 days, and he has been a miserable disappointment and a failure.
09:39Have you had any communication with federal authorities about the possibility of bringing out the National Guard here or seeing Marines in Chicago?
09:50I have, you know, complete confidence that between those who are protesting who want to ensure that their message is brought to the federal government,
10:02that they'll be able to effectively do that.
10:04Any need beyond our local police department as we assess the full situation, this is not something that even the state of California called for, right?
10:15I mean, so this president's desire to not only militarize and criminalize, but his commitment to drive chaos is something that I've said from the very beginning is not only reckless, but it's incomprehensible, quite frankly.
10:35So we're going to protect people's right to assemble while also ensuring that Chicagoans can get through their day-to-day.
10:40We don't have time for a long question today, sir, so just straight to the question and we're going to go right to Heather.
10:46Just turn my microphone on?
10:47Yeah, yeah, straight to the question and we're going to go straight to Heather.
10:50Geez.
10:51I thought the theme of today's press conference was freedom of speech.
10:54At any rate, you have called on the citizens of Chicago to rise up against ICE, to resist ICE, to fight back against ICE.
11:08Many Chicagoans, including black and brown, tell me that that sounds like a call to violence.
11:13In light of the violence that we're seeing in Los Angeles now, the looting, the damage to property, the attacks on law enforcement, would you consider withdrawing that violent call to violence?
11:26I believe in nonviolence.
11:29I believe in nonviolence.
11:31Right.
11:32Well, you also have said that the illegal immigrants that are being targeted by ICE are the working families of Chicago.
11:43The real Chicagoans are now facing tax increases because you've spent millions of their tax dollars on migrants.
11:53They're including a grocery tax.
11:55Okay.
11:56We need that question.
11:57Why would you think that real Chicagoans should trust you to spend their money after you've already wasted millions of it on illegal aliens?
12:05We are invested in people.
12:07Is that really honestly your only answer?
12:09We're going to go to Heather now.
12:10Thanks.
12:11Wow.
12:12Hi, Mayor.
12:13I want to cast your memory back to last week when a number of older people were protesting ICE outside a facility on Michigan Avenue and Chicago Police Department officers and supervisors were present there.
12:26Are you confident that the reaction and the response of CPD did not violate the city's welcoming city ordinance or the Illinois Trust Act?
12:36Did officers act appropriately during that confrontation?
12:40What we saw was we saw an unprecedented attack against the sensibility of our humanity.
12:49And under those circumstances, I am relieved that the number of people who were there to call attention to what ICE is doing or has done, that they were present.
13:06As far as the reaction of our police department, their responsibility was to ensure that if there was any element of that protest that could impact the safety of protesters and our residents, that they were there to ensure that safety was maximized.
13:33We are a welcoming city.
13:38The Illinois Trust Act is the law of the land.
13:41We will continue to uphold both of those policies.
13:48Of course, we're going to review and continue to review what went down last week.
13:55And there's an open meeting that's going to take place with a number of alders so that everyone is clear about the role that the local police department plays and how this particular unprecedented attack played out.
14:10Back to a little bit of normal city news, there's a measure that just advanced out of the city's License and Consumer Protection Committee that would allow alder people to ban new short-term rentals from setting up in their wards.
14:25Do you favor that initiative which could potentially significantly decrease the amount of short-term rentals in Chicago?
14:35You know, what I want is, you know, I want to make sure that in everything that we do, that we continue to ensure that we're building a safe, affordable city.
14:48You know, this particular measure, quite frankly, I'll have to look into a little bit deeper.
14:53But, you know, I know that there are a number of alders who mean well and are trying to show up for, you know, their particular pocket of the city.
15:03My responsibility is to ensure that whatever measure is put forth is that, you know, the impact that that will or could have on the entire city, that I keep that into full consideration.
15:15And in this instance, I would do the same.
15:17As we look towards Saturday.
15:19What's your name?
15:20Oh, Whitney Wilde from CNN.
15:22From CNN?
15:23Yes.
15:24You just, you know, when a new student shows up in the classroom, I'm going to notice.
15:27I know.
15:28Welcome CNN.
15:29I don't come as often as I wish I could.
15:31Well, change that.
15:32I'm working on it.
15:33I'm here today.
15:35It's my pleasure.
15:36So as we look towards Saturday, what do you anticipate the posture of the Chicago Police Department is going to be?
15:42You know, there are large protests Saturday here and all across the country.
15:47Again, what is the posture of CPD for Saturday?
15:50And then additionally, do you know if the city is having strong communications with the event organizers to make sure that expectations for what you can and can't provide are clear?
15:59Yeah, thank you for that question and thank you for being here.
16:04Our first responsibility is to ensure that we keep everyone safe.
16:09That is my number one responsibility.
16:11It's what I think about every day, all day.
16:14The work that we have done collectively continues to drive violence down in the city of Chicago because that's something that is of a top priority of mine.
16:23And so our approach won't be that much different on Saturday in terms of what our ultimate responsibility is.
16:29And when we're talking about keeping people safe, the right to assemble peacefully is a constitutional right.
16:36So we have to protect that.
16:38Now look, there are some actors that unfortunately act outside of their constitutional protection.
16:46And if that were to take place, those individuals will be held responsible and accountable.
16:53To the extent in which I can name how we are in constant conversation and coordination with organizers, that's the strength of my administration.
17:07We talk to people.
17:08Now there are some organizers that might develop over the next week or so that we're going to have to identify.
17:18But when the large scale protests took place as there were strong voices calling for a cease fire and the releasing of hostages, we demonstrated that we can coordinate with organizers of these demonstrations with law enforcement to keep everyone safe.
17:39That is what my expectation has always been.
17:42And I remain committed to that expectation.
17:45You know, what's most disturbing, however, about Saturday is how the president of the United States of America is using our armed forces to celebrate him.
17:55You know, we're going to see a very grotesque demonstration with tanks and other military, high-powered military gear that reflects authoritarianism and dictatorship.
18:11That's something that, as a leader of one of the most dynamic economies in the world, I find that to be quite disturbing.
18:20But we're going to make sure that here locally that we demonstrate what's sensible about our democracy, and that's protecting the fundamental right to protest and demonstrate and to peacefully assemble.
18:30And if individuals work outside of those confines, we'll hold them accountable.
18:34This – you might already have a policy in place for this, but just, you know, on the off chance that you don't.
18:40As we see these protests roll through, and, you know, we saw high-level supervisors out.
18:44We saw, you know, Deputy Mayor Gatewood out last night.
18:47What kind of sort of spot checks are you going to do on the Chicago Police Department's response to make sure that what you – you know, the goal is actually happening in practice?
18:56Mm-hmm.
18:57Well, thank you for acknowledging our Deputy Mayor's presence.
19:01My administration was – was out there, and he wasn't the only one to ensure that those checkpoints are reflective of my vision as well as the reflection of our democracy.
19:15That will continue to happen, and there will be a constant review of our practices.
19:20We've – we've reviewed to your colleagues' question around what happened when ICE snuck into our city and set human traps – excuse me.
19:38You've got to be really sick, sick and demented to do this to people.
19:50This president's reckless behavior – I didn't know you could look worse than George Wallace.
20:05Our team will be present to ensure that we're holding to our values, and Deputy Mayor Gatewood and his team and our Chief of Staff, all of us, are ensuring that the people of Chicago are supported and protected and their constitutional rights are intact.
20:22Thank you for that question.
20:24Good afternoon, Mayor.
20:26Good afternoon.
20:28And along those lines – and this may be a question for Deputy Mayor Ponce de Leon – what kind of contacts are there with the feds if we – are you hearing anything from ICE or federal, you know, enforcement about plans for the near future and what they may or may not be doing?
20:55Thank you for that question.
20:56Or are they – are they even giving you any contact?
20:59I'm going to turn it over to our Chief of Staff.
21:01Yeah, we've received word that the federal agents have been informed that they have 48 hours to stand by and be ready to deploy.
21:12There will be tactical teams.
21:13There will be tactical teams.
21:14There will be mini tanks.
21:15There will be other tools that they use in which they plan to do raids, as we saw in Los Angeles.
21:26So that information – it's actually pretty public.
21:31It has been out there and, in fact, on official channels.
21:34So that's what we are aware of.
21:37We have been coordinating with the state.
21:39We have been also coordinating with the county, making sure that we have open lines of communication.
21:44And Deputy Mayor Gatewood has been doing some additional discussions, coordination, and communications internally.
21:51I spoke directly – I spoke directly with the Governor just an hour or so ago as he prepares for his testimony at the Oversight Committee.
21:59I spoke with the Board President, Tony Preckwinkle.
22:01It's going to take all of us to stand firm to ensure that our democracy is intact.
22:06And what are you hearing from people in the community?
22:14I mean, we've heard some reports earlier this week that it's going back to when people were afraid to come outside or go to work or take their kids to school.
22:25They're terrified.
22:27They are absolutely terrified.
22:30That's – look, I remember a few stand-ups ago when I talked about what terrorism looks like.
22:37This is it.
22:39There should be no question to what our country would look like had the Confederacy won.
22:44We're seeing it on full display.
22:47And there's no art form in this.
22:52This is literally just using the power of the federal apparatus to insert its will on whomever.
23:02There's – right now, in our country, there's no check and balance.
23:07It doesn't exist right now.
23:10Speaker Johnson, who is third in charge if something were to happen to the President of the United States of America, won't even raise his voice.
23:21As a believer, as a believer in faith and justice, these individuals are cowards.
23:30They are hypocrites.
23:33They're dangerous.
23:35There's one branch of government right now in this country.
23:39One branch.
23:40He has taken over the courts.
23:42The Congress says nothing.
23:46And so people are terrified.
23:48But in the city of Chicago, we are going to remain vigilant and firm in protecting what is sensible about our existence.
23:55And that's ensuring that the Constitution is actually maintained.
23:58Here's – the bottom line is this.
24:00You either support the Constitution or you do not.
24:03And right now, this President has – is literally just trampling all over the Constitution right now.
24:09And doing it in plain sight.
24:12And so we're going to do everything in our power.
24:14Beatrice Poncelion, Deputy Mayor.
24:15We're going to make sure that people know their rights.
24:17You know, we'll relaunch and relaunch again to ensure that people of Chicago know their rights.
24:22Yeah.
24:24Thank you, Mayor.
24:26Could you or Mary maybe update us on the investigation by the Department of Justice into the hiring?
24:35Are you having to supply documents?
24:38Have you had to do interviews?
24:39Is that something you can address?
24:41Just before I turn it over to Mary Richardson-Laurie, this is so fraudulent.
24:48It's a slap in the face to the civil rights era movement.
24:53I mean, you have a president that is establishing a cabinet that looks like the country club, the oligarchs, the ultra-rich,
25:02individuals who have no background and training in the very department in which they are entrusted to serve.
25:10You know, we're very proud of – we're very proud of the fact that we have a number of incredibly talented,
25:18capable, diverse individuals that are helping to transform our city.
25:24There's clearly benefit in the way my administration has approached governance.
25:29Violent crime is down.
25:30Investments are up.
25:31So this is not about whether or not we're effective.
25:34This is about creating a distraction so that he can continue his efforts to rob working people in this country.
25:43Mary?
25:44Mary Richardson-Laurie Corporation Counsel.
25:47We have begun to have a dialogue with the Justice Department regarding their letter.
25:53We did finally formally receive a copy of their letter in which they assert Title VII violations as their allegation,
26:04contingent upon the ongoing communications that we have with them.
26:09So we will be submitting a response, a written response, to them so they understand our position.
26:15They, in turn, are going to be submitting some questions to us to help to narrow the scope of their request.
26:22And then that dialogue will continue within the bounds of the law.
26:28Very good. Thank you.
26:29Mayor, can you step back from all of this a little bit and talk about being a mayor of a blue city
26:36and the challenge of that right now?
26:40Are you all on a text chain wondering how you're going to communicate for the next three years and seven months?
26:47Well, so you can FOIA it?
26:49So that's a great question.
26:59What I will say is this.
27:01There are some fundamental differences between cities that are ran by Democrats and those ran by other members of different parties,
27:12or different parties, Republican Party.
27:14But there's one thing, though, that is consistent, is that we know that it's at the city level is where government really shows up for people.
27:23And so in that regard, that there is a universal line of communication through the U.S. Conference of Mayors,
27:30which I believe I'm going next week to talk to mayors all over the country, and they all won't be Democrats.
27:37They're all concerned with what I'm concerned about, whether you're Republican or Democrat or independent or otherwise.
27:43Community safety, investing in housing, health care, and good paying jobs or education system.
27:49You know, as far as, you know, Democratic cities, I will say that it is clear that there is more intentionality around the Trump administration to attack democratically ran cities.
28:03In fact, Governor Abbott spent millions of dollars attacking our city, literally spent millions of dollars,
28:09not trying to work in collaboration to coordinate how we can deal with what occurred or what was happening at the border.
28:18I will say, though, that our resolve is my resolve and our collective resolve still remains.
28:26I will say, though, that that communication extends beyond mayors and even speaks to community groups.
28:32I'm going to turn over to our deputy mayor, Ponce de Leon.
28:35She can speak about some of the work that's happening on the ground,
28:38the way in which we're all communicating to ensure that we're showing up for working people,
28:43and at this time, in particular, our immigrant community.
28:46Thank you, mayor.
28:47Yes, thanks for that question.
28:49You know, our team is part of a network, a national network of immigrant affairs, immigrant rights offices, out of mayor's offices.
28:56So we are certainly connected to them there and are seeing the types of activities that are going on in other cities as well.
29:03But locally, we meet and often are in touch with the major organizations that are fighting this and trying to inform residents.
29:12So the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights, the Resurrection Project, OCAD.
29:18And what we hear is certainly people are afraid, but people are also finding ways to stand up for their rights and to get connected to resources.
29:28And just a couple of the challenges right now is the need for legal support for deportation defense and for legal guidance.
29:36And as, you know, we try to drive some philanthropic private dollars in that direction, but also just send an invitation out to lawyers and others that might want to support those efforts.
29:49That is the most pressing need that we're seeing right now.
29:53And then in working with these organizations, also pushing out not only your rights information,
29:59but ways that families and individuals can be prepared in the case of a detention and what they can do.
30:04So I am often sharing this number, but I want to share it again.
30:07There's the hotline.
30:08It's 1-855-435-7693.
30:11That's for any immigration-related question or emergency.
30:15People recommend that, you know, give them a call.
30:18And then the shared website that is with the state and some of the organizations.
30:22And that one is good for beyond Chicago.
30:25And we're seeing, we might see these actions happening outside of the city as well.
30:30So that is IllinoisImmigrationInfo.org.
30:35But we are in regular communication with those organizations.
30:40Hi, Mayor. How are you?
30:41I'm doing well.
30:42Good afternoon.
30:43Good afternoon.
30:44Got it right.
30:45What do we know about the ICE tactical units that are going to be sent to, you mentioned Chicago.
30:50We know LA already, Philly, other large cities that are going to be anchors for these protests on Saturday.
30:55Do we know when they're coming, what protesters should look out for or expect?
31:00You know, just as I mentioned before, you know, yesterday the notice was given to agents that they have 48 hours to deploy.
31:08That there will be five cities that are targeted, Democrat-led cities, Chicago being one of them for sure.
31:18And that they were going to be targeting, you know, workplaces in terms of the raids.
31:24And we have seen as, you know, how they've shown up in LA with the mini tanks, with arms, with also chemical agents.
31:36We have seen them in full riot gear.
31:38We have seen them fully concealed.
31:41We also witnessed last week there were deceptive practices where they text people who were expecting to go into a place to do the check-in with their immigration proceedings.
31:55And, of course, they were intercepted by ICE.
31:59So we can expect all of those types of tactics, inclusive of evading due process, deceptive tactics, and concealing identity along with some of those more aggressive actions that we witnessed in LA.
32:13And then just thinking about what happened yesterday, our crew was on the ground when a car drove through the crowd.
32:19Is there any sort of plan to try to protect large groups from vehicles, especially when we don't really know the route?
32:28Understandably, it can be difficult.
32:30Well, we were grateful that, you know, in the midst of this effort by the Trump administration to create chaos,
32:40that we were able to get through yesterday without mass arrests or life altering harm.
32:56The coordination between the organizers and the Chicago Police Department is one that we're going to continue to work to strengthen.
33:03Because to your point, there were a number of organizers that, though it was structured, there has to be better coordination.
33:15And that's something that we will work on.
33:17Deputy Mayor, do you want to add anything else to that?
33:19Yeah, absolutely. So thank you for the question, Sabrina.
33:21Of course, after every large incident, we do an after-action report to get a better sense of what we can improve.
33:27Nobody obviously expects someone to do what they did yesterday.
33:31So we'll make improvements on that.
33:33We already had a meeting this morning with some of our team on additional resources we'll need in place.
33:39We've been in contact directly with the governor's office about some of the support they can provide as well.
33:44So, again, our teams are constantly thinking about ways to evolve and make sure folks are able to protest safely,
33:51and our police are able to do their jobs.
33:53So that's what we'll continue to do on this one as well.
33:56Hi. I guess this would be for Cristina Pazio and Sarah Hesterk here in Gatewood.
34:00In terms of when ICE says they're going to have an action, what is the protocol for CPD,
34:08and what is an appropriate role for them?
34:10I was told by an activist today that under the Trust Act it is not appropriate for them to cut off streets or do crowd control.
34:17Is that your understanding? Basically, what's the CPD's role when ICE comes in?
34:21Let me just start off by saying that, and thank you for that question, we are a welcoming city.
34:29And that ordinance is the law of the land, the Illinois Trust Act.
34:34It's the law of the land, which simply states that our local law enforcement will not coordinate or engage or behave as federal agents.
34:44Now, if there's a federal warrant that is available, then that provides space for a different type of assessment.
34:54You know, as far as the role and the responsibility of our police department, it is to ensure that protesters can live out the Constitution safely.
35:08That is their responsibility. They also have a responsibility to ensure that, you know, in the event there are actions that are moving, that it is effectively coordinated.
35:26Right. Because we don't want anyone to get injured. And so there's a certain element.
35:31I don't know what this person's definition of crowd control is, but I can tell you as mayor of the city of Chicago,
35:36I want to make sure that whether that crowd is five or five thousand or fifty thousand, that that they're protected.
35:43That is the role, the responsibility of our police department. I don't I don't know if they have to add anything else. Thank you for that.
35:51So given given that the CBD was there, ICE claims that they had final orders of removal for every one of the people they took.
36:00I FOIA for those and have not gotten them from ICE yet. Is it your understanding that they did have those orders of removal?
36:07Look, it's a great question. I don't know if anybody up here can answer that. Look, we're not federal agents.
36:12I got what we don't represent that jurisdiction. What I can say is that as someone who does represent 2.8 million people that.
36:27the president of the United States of America setting human traps, it's still unconscionable.
36:34And and I know Chicago appreciates our position of being a welcoming city. We do.
36:46You know, as far as any of those final orders, that's that's beyond our jurisdiction.
36:52So those were not presented to city officials. I don't I don't know.
36:57I just I don't they're not required to do that. I don't believe so.
37:01You know, we'll have to get back with you on that.
37:03Like we because I want to be thoughtful here because I don't want anyone to believe that somehow we are in coordination with the federal government.
37:09They're not just showing up. You all they're just showing up with tanks and set in human traps.
37:14There is no coordination between the city of Chicago and the federal government. There isn't. Not particularly on this issue.
37:20But we got to go. Monica, we got to keep going. Monica, we got to keep going.
37:27My question is for chief Christina.
37:33Me gustaría que me explicara como se está preparando la ciudad de Chicago para las grandes protestas este próximo sábado y que han escuchado por parte de ice que podemos esperar a las próximas semanas en cuanto a operativos.
37:48Sería mejor si el tapirime de ponerse de león puede contestar porque él está ella está en comunicación con las organizaciones.
37:59Lo puedes repetirlo.
38:01¿Cómo se está preparando la ciudad de Chicago para hacerle frente a las próximas redadas que se pero a las próximas protestas este próximo sábado?
38:09Sí. Bueno, primeramente, como se ha dicho esta mañana, la ciudad se está preparando para estar seguros de que la gente tiene la capacidad y el derecho de salir a protestar de una manera segura, ¿verdad?
38:25Tomando en cuenta al fin de cuentas la seguridad de toda la comunidad.
38:30Entonces, con la policía va a haber manera de que ellos sigan las reglas de la ordenanza de bienvenida, sigan las reglas del estado de Illinois Trust Act y a la vez proteger a las personas que están protestando.
38:48Pero también tomando en cuenta de que dijo el alcalde que hay a veces personas que pues quiebran las leyes, que causan daños, puede haber violencia y van a tener que estar preparados también para eso.
39:02En cuestión a lo que puede ser que venga ICE en estos días que siguen, ya tenemos básicamente confirmado, públicamente se ha dicho, ¿verdad?, que va a haber redadas tipo como lo que sucedió en Los Ángeles.
39:15Pueden empezar mañana, puede ser en esos días que vienen.
39:20Y también nosotros no podemos interferir con el trabajo de ICE, pero tenemos que colaborar con ellos, ¿verdad?
39:29Solamente ver la manera de seguir protegiendo al pueblo de la ciudad de Chicago.
39:33Mencionó anteriormente que están trabajando con las organizaciones.
39:37Cuénteme, ¿qué están haciendo específicamente?
39:39Bueno, hablamos diariamente con líderes de las organizaciones como son ICER, el proyecto de resurrección, OCAD, porque sabemos que ellos están en la lucha.
39:49Están informando a la gente de lo que son sus derechos, los recursos que hay para ellos.
39:54Y también ellos están organizando protestas, demostraciones de una manera pacífica.
40:00Lo que quieren es que luchar en contra de lo que está sucediendo a nivel nacional, pero hacerlo de una manera que no pone en peligro a las personas que están.
40:10Y tenemos que agradecer que están tomando sus riesgos ellos mismos.
40:14Muchos son impactados y afectados personalmente.
40:17Nosotros queremos apoyarlos de una manera que también respeta lo que son las leyes de la ciudad y el trabajo de la policía de la ciudad de Chicago.
40:31We will continue to organize collectively.
40:34Mayor, good afternoon.
40:35Good afternoon.
40:36Block Club reported today that Uber overcharged customers $1.8 million in a downtown congestion fee that was collected by the city.
40:44The company is now asking the city to pay them back because the company paid back its customers.
40:49Should the city do that?
40:52We will be reviewing, Mary Richardson-Laurie Corporation Council will be reviewing the allegations set forth by Uber and respond.
40:59You might be aware that we already have an active suit associated with Uber, so we will review those specifics and respond accordingly.
41:07Gotcha.
41:08And there's already a handful of city fees on Uber rides.
41:12I understand the measure to close the fiscal cliff that did not pass would have been a new 10% tax on all Uber rides in Chicago.
41:20Ubers have gotten more expensive.
41:22Do you think these surcharges and city fees have gone too far or could we place even more on these on Uber?
41:27Which fiscal?
41:28What you're talking about in Springfield?
41:29The transit.
41:30The transit.
41:31Okay.
41:32I just want to make sure that we're clear.
41:35I believe that the state of Illinois, working in collaboration with the city and the county and really the entire state,
41:45finding ways to ensure that public transportation is affordable, reliable, and safe, that is the collective responsibility and the role that I believe that we all have.
41:56You know, as far as any specific revenue proposal, again, I've stated it in multiple ways and multiple times,
42:09that we have an unfair structure in the state of Illinois where the ultra-rich that benefit from our city services have to take more responsibility, right?
42:24I mean, our region alone economically, we drive this state.
42:29And 87% of the overall ridership or even economic prowess of our transportation system is right here in this region.
42:37Everybody benefits from Chicago.
42:38Everybody benefits.
42:39So there has to be a more collective responsibility in this moment to ensure that that benefit is still available and that the responsibility of that benefit is equitably distributed.
42:51Exactly.
42:52Thank you, Matt.
42:53Thanks, Matt.
42:54We've got to keep going.
42:55Sorry.
42:56Thanks for coming up.
42:57Good afternoon.
42:58Good afternoon, Mark.
42:59Given the commander-in-chief's voodoo sense of rule of law, how concerned are you that this whole thing is going to escalate to the point that he's going to declare a warlike emergency, and therefore suspend habeas corpus,
43:10with the result being that the 14th amendment and due process just go out the door, which is provided in the Alien Enemies Act?
43:33Well, it's clear that that's what he's doing.
43:38Those are his intentions, right?
43:41You know, what I find interesting, though, is that, you know, you asked about how worried or concerned, this is where this is so pharisaical, right?
43:48Because the same individuals that are worried that government is too big, you know, this president and his party, you know, are sending unmasked, I'm sorry, masked men with war weaponry, you know, into cities and creating checkpoints in cities and disappearing people without the due process.
44:17Right?
44:18I mean, he's already doing that.
44:19This is not, this is no longer a threat.
44:22He's doing it.
44:23You know, and, you know, the same people who are supposedly concerned about government overreach and civil liberties, they're doing it.
44:31What our response has to be is to ensure that, you know, we protect, you know, people's basic fundamental rights.
44:40That's why I said before, Mark, you're either for the Constitution or you're against it.
44:44And, you know, you have people who are lining up the ultra rich to extract more out of this economy, putting poor people and working people in desperate states and trying to create chaos to create division within community groups.
45:02And we're saying enough is enough in Chicago.
45:05Coming after vulnerable people, no matter who they are, is a threat to all of us.
45:10And so that's why we're going to continue to work to build a safe, affordable city, but also to ensure that we're protecting the rights of all of our residents.
45:20Thank you for that question.
45:21And given what's happening to Ross Baraka now, how inoculated are you from going the same way, whether you're personally there or not, to uphold sanctuary city status or doing it from your office?
45:39Yeah, it's a great question. Look, I don't I don't believe this is about sanctuary city solely. It's not. I mean, I think that's a component of it. This is not just about sanctuary city.
45:50Again, this is about our fundamental right to be able to live peacefully in a nation that that has yet realized its full potential.
46:01You know, as far as my own, you know, personal inoculation or how I show up in this moment, unafraid, unbossed, unbought. I'm Chicago. We stay ready.
46:15So don't be scared. Don't be scared. You know what, Mark? You can you can clock that, too.
46:22Good afternoon, Mayor. Last week, we reported that ICE subpoenaed the clerk's office for the personal information of City Key applicants, many of whom are immigrants.
46:34Mayor, what's your reaction overall to the federal government going after this info? And what should the future of City Key be in light of this risk?
46:41Yeah, Mary.
46:45Thank you for the question. We responded to that request for information and we respectfully declined within the bounds of the law, given the privacy issues and specifically the exposure of groups like domestic violence victims, which would have been exposed had that information been provided, which would have been in contravention to their rights.
47:08We will continue to monitor activity, all administrative warrants, as we are doing now, and we put a process in place should we receive future administrative warrants from this administration.
47:23Mayor, can I also just get you to opine on just the overall tactic of the federal government going after this data?
47:28It's bad, and it's wrong.
47:32You know, since you responded to ICE saying you won't comply, have you received communications from them? And is there any world such as a right of contempt of court charge where the city would turn these documents over?
47:45The issuance of an administrative warrant is just that. Administratively, it's not a court-ordered process. Should they move towards a court setting, we will respond in kind. But we have provided a response to them on that specific issue. As we have in some other categories, we produce documents that we do think we're obligated to produce. But with respect to City Key, we don't believe such an obligation exists.
48:13Hey, Mayor.
48:15Hey.
48:16Following up on Justin's question, what do you want to see passed in this rideshare worker ordinance? Specifically, do you support forcing Uber and Lyft to pay drivers as much as the ordinance is seeking?
48:26Well, look, the reason why we're bringing everyone to the table is so that we have a policy that works for industry and the workers. That's always my drive. Whether it's paid time off, whether it's, you know, $11 billion of new investments on the southeast side of Chicago, that those impacted by the policy see their values attached in whatever product we produce.
48:52So we're going to continue to work with industry and ensure that their voice is heard at the table. That's probably unique. I know that hasn't always been the practice of the fifth floor. I can tell you firsthand, when previous administrations made decisions about my existence, they didn't necessarily have voices like mine at the table. So I'm very sensitive to that. But we also have to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to ensure that people have a good wage so that they can continue to live in this beautiful city.
49:21Switching gears, the argument we've heard from protesters at the ICE office last week is that CPD helped ICE out because they assisted with traffic control. If they weren't helping ICE keep the streets clear, then ICE would have had to dedicate more agents to do that themselves. Do you think that argument makes sense?
49:38Yeah.
49:39It's the job. It's the job of the local police department to keep people safe. That's their job. That's what I think about every single day.
49:45Here, I hope this isn't seen as a stretch. But just from a liability perspective, especially, you know, Mary Richardson and Laurie and I, we deal with this all the time, that in some instances where government is responsible for or has been made responsible for certain accidents that have occurred,
50:14that has created some level of a weighted burden, right? And so it's not a coordinated effort to see families deported and separated. Let's just pause for a second. This is what we're talking about. There's what Trump is doing. That's our problem.
50:43That's what Trump is doing. Trump is disappearing people. Trump is militarizing forces. That's what he's doing. What our local police department has a responsibility to do is that when people assemble that they are protected so that their rights are ensured. That's the role that I have as the mayor of the city of Chicago, is to ensure that the First Amendment is protected. Now, is there room to continue to
51:13continue to continue to review our practices? Of course, this is unprecedented. But we have one clear opposition in this country right now. One. One. That's my focus. We're going to ensure equity and justice
51:28is maintained in this city. That he can come after us in any form in which he pleases. How we show up for one another. That's what's most critical here.
51:43You know, it's not just immigration. He's trying to erase black history from our collective story as Americans. You know, here's the same person who is cutting off food and medicine to people.
52:01All I'm saying is, look what else he's doing. We have to be able to keep our eye on everything.
52:09He is deranged and unwell. It's important that we remain focused on who our opposition is, but we'll continue to review all of our practices to ensure that people of this city know that they are loved and protected and supported.
52:25Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon.
52:27Am I it? I guess I'm it, right? Kind of a follow-up to Charlie's question about if Trump sends military here. I mean, is there anything you guys can do? Would you file legal action against the administration? I know the state of California has. I mean, what will you do if the military is sent here?
52:47Look, I spoke with, as I said earlier, I spoke with the governor directly. I spoke with Board President Greg Winkle. We're all, you know, committed to ensuring that the city, the county, the state as a whole, that we maintain, you know, the sensibilities of our democracy, right?
53:02The ability for us to freely express and express, you know, protests. That's fundamental to our democracy. You know, as far as any particular action that the city or the state or the county or what we would do, particularly as a city, this is a necessary fight for all of us to be able to push back.
53:29Whether we use the courts or whether we continue to protest and raise our voices, dissent matters in this moment. Look, he is abusing his power. We warn people, though.
53:48You all know we warn people. I've been saying this for months before the November election, that there are those in this country who have not accepted the results of the Civil War.
54:00And it's a war on our culture. It's a war on our democracy. It's a war on our humanity. I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment.
54:14Because whatever particular vulnerable group is being targeted today, another group will be next.
54:23Now, look, I know that there is an effort to divide us in this moment.
54:27But none of us are immune from this disease.
54:41So we'll do everything in our local power. We'll work with everyone to ensure that our city is the vibrant place, the diverse place that it has been.
54:54And shifting gears to CPS, as you know, the school board is meeting right now, and they're expected at the end to choose an interim CEO.
55:03If it is Magalene King, who is part of your administration, do you think it's a good choice, given the fact that she has some issues on her personnel record?
55:14And if she is the choice, with those issues on her personnel record, what kind of message do you think that sends to the CPS community?
55:23Well, right now, the message that's being sent to the CPS community is that, you know, unfortunately, we have an outgoing person who just refused to manage.
55:43You know, the budget that was put forward last year, as we told people, was just, it wasn't a real one.
56:02It was just make-believe, just speculation.
56:05It was lazy.
56:10As the board makes a decision on who the right person is to lead our district through this transition, it has to be someone that reflects the values that I've fought for my entire education career.
56:26That's the thing that's most important here.
56:27But should that person have violations on their personnel record?
56:31The person has to reflect my values.
56:35And my values are we have to have a school district that works for every single child.
56:40Now, look, I'm not going to get into any speculation around, you know, who the final person will be, but I do know that there was a very thorough process, as I directed the board members, to go through, to vet,
56:53and to take that thorough process before the democratic body and, you know, democracy at this point in our city's history is probably more important than it's ever been.
57:07So, you know, we're going to have a school district that maintains class sizes that are smaller and manageable, libraries and librarians, social workers and counselors.
57:19We're going to make sure that we have a school district that provides extracurricular support and protects the LGBTQ community, the immigrant community, and black history, veteran educators.
57:31That's the school district that people voted for.
57:34And that's the school district in which we are transitioning into.
57:40And I'm looking forward to, as we build a school district that reflects those values, that we have a leadership team that is committed to doing the hard work to ensure that our values are also reflected in how we invest in people.