theworldismine13
God Emperor of SOHH
Emanuel announces immigrant legal fund
Emanuel announces immigrant legal fund
Emanuel announces immigrant legal fund
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday kept up his postelection push to position himself as a protector of immigrants against President-elect Donald Trump, announcing the creation of a $1 million "legal protection fund" to help those fighting possible deportation.
The fund was created in partnership with the National Immigrant Justice Center to "provide immediate legal information, screenings, consultations and representation to individuals who may be at risk for deportation," according to a news release from Emanuel's office.
The money will come from the $20 million the city set aside for Emanuel's property tax rebate program, according to city spokeswoman Jennifer Martinez. That initiative fell flat, with just 12,000 households applying for tax relief to the tune of about $1 million, leaving ample leftover money to pay for immigrant defense.
For Emanuel, the relatively small investment in the fund to fight deportations provides an easy way for him to again publicly stake out his opposition to Trump's immigration policies as mayor of a city with a huge population of immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere.
Immigration issue provides Emanuel with chance to stand up to Trump
The mayor has taken numerous opportunities to pledge Chicago will remain a "welcoming city" for immigrants since Trump — who promised during his campaign to deport millions of people in the U.S. illegally — won last month.
Two weeks ago, Emanuel hung around at the City Council meeting after more pressing business was finished to join aldermen in a one-sided debate in favor of a nonbinding resolution reaffirming the city's status as a safe haven for people in the country illegally.
And the morning after Trump's victory, Emanuel took the rare step of giving a speech at the start of a council meeting to point to the multicultural slate of politicians who won election in Illinois in November as evidence of the strength of the immigrant ideals he said gives the area its vitality.
The mayor also appeared with U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Chicago, following the election. Speaking directly to people "nervous and filled with anxiety" because of Trump's win, Emanuel said "you are safe in Chicago, you are secure in Chicago and you are supported in Chicago."
Emanuel's statements favoring those in the country without permission stand in contrast to his history on the contentious topic. In the Obama White House, he advised against pursuing immigration reform in the first year, having once called it the "third rail of politics." In the Clinton White House, Emanuel suggested hard-line immigration policies to achieve "record deportations of criminal aliens."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel presides over Chicago City Council special session on Nov. 30, 2016.
(Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The mayor's recent declarations are part of a wave of such moves in the past few weeks from mayors in big cities, where large numbers of immigrants and voters supported Democrat Hillary Clinton's failed White House bid.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who faces a possible tough 2017 re-election fight, gave a speech two weeks ago pledging to use "all of the tools at our disposal" to stand up for residents there.
Emanuel, has not said whether he plans to run for a third term in 2019. But facing deep distrust from some African-American voters because of continuing gun violence in some predominantly black neighborhoods and concerns about police treatment of black residents, it makes political sense for him to try to strengthen his standing with the city's large Hispanic population.
all the poor citizens who could use this million dollars, and he wants to give it to illegals to score cheap political points? 
fukk this fakkit