Chicago Councilman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa has resigned from his leadership positions on the City Council after allegedly trying to block a female colleague from attending a meeting on the city’s sanctuary status referendum.
The Democratic Socialist, chairman of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s council, is accused of “bullying” fellow Ald. Emma Mitts and of her physical attempts to prevent her from entering the voting room during a special meeting last week.
The meeting was to discuss whether the city should ask voters in March whether Chicago should remain a sanctuary city as the city continues to be overwhelmed by nearly 20,000 newly arrived migrants.
Raymond Lopez opposes the referendum proposal and reportedly tried to prevent the measure’s supporters from reaching a quorum to vote on the proposal. On Monday, he resigned as chairman of the City Council’s zoning committee and as leader of the Johnson City Council.
The Chicago Black Caucus had previously said, “Councilwoman Ramirez-Rosa’s physical and verbal intimidation has failed our council and the people of Chicago.”
Chicago Councilman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa has resigned from his leadership positions on the City Council after allegedly trying to block a female colleague from attending a vote on the city’s sanctuary status
Mitts, who is black, is the longest-serving woman on the council. She has not yet commented on the incident
The meeting was to discuss whether the city should ask voters in March whether Chicago should remain a sanctuary city as the city continues to be overwhelmed by nearly 20,000 newly arrived migrants.
It went on to say that the incident was “an unfortunate and direct reminder of the decades of challenges that African American women serving on City Council have had to overcome in our collective efforts to increase the upward mobility of our collective communities.”
In his resignation statement, Ramirez-Rosa says: ‘Because the position of Floor Leader above all requires the trust of our colleagues, and because I have lost that trust due to my actions, I have informed the mayor that I am resigning from my position. In addition, I am resigning as chair of the Commission on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards effective December 1 to allow time for an effective transition,” Ramirez-Rosa said in a statement.
‘I can’t take away the mistakes I made last week. But I hope to rebuild the trust we have in each other as we move forward as a Council addressing the important issues impacting Chicago.”
Chicago’s Aldermanic Black Caucus has called for Ramirez-Rosa’s resignation, as did protesters outside his office on Sunday. The Black Caucus consists of twenty of the fifty members of the Council.
Mitts, who is black, is the longest-serving woman on the council. She has not yet commented on the incident.
Ramirez-Rosa reportedly tried frantically to prevent councilors from entering the chamber and reaching the quorum of 26 votes they needed to continue the meeting.
Following the reported incident last week, Ald. Raymond Lopez posted on Emma Mitts.
Tensions between Chicago’s black and Hispanic communities have been particularly high due to the migrant crisis
Chicago residents have resisted turning landmarks into emergency shelters, with some even asking city officials to close the city limits
“No man has the right to lay hands on anyone, let alone grab a woman and physically prevent her from leaving in an attempt to intimidate her. Your misogyny was completely disgusting (again). The only question is: why is our mayor allowing you to serve in any capacity? You refused to be called to the quorum while hiding at the doors and threatening your colleagues. You are clearly a threat to women, especially women of color. Resign!’
Five Latino councilors also called for Ramirez-Rosa’s resignation as group leader and chairman of the zoning commission.
The alleged incident was not recorded because it happened in the front room of the city council, out of the range of cameras.
Debate on the proposal to ask voters about Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city will continue Tuesday.
Nearly 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022 and because there are not enough beds, 4,000 have been forced to sleep at the airport, police stations and outdoors.
Chicago residents have resisted turning landmarks into emergency shelters, with some even asking city officials to close the city’s borders, while Mayor Johnson quietly signed a $29 million contract with a security firm to build base camps for migrants .
Tensions between Chicago’s black and Latinx communities have run particularly high due to the migrant crisis, and the Chicago Sun Times reported that Johnson “simply could not afford to stand behind Ramirez-Rosa after he was accused of to have had physical contact with Ald. Emma Mitts.’
Like New York and other cities, Chicago has struggled to house asylum seekers, slowly moving people from temporary spaces into shelters and, in the near future, tents.
Many of the immigrants who arrived in Chicago in the past year are from Texas
Many migrants come from Venezuela, where a political, social and economic crisis over the past decade has pushed millions of people into poverty
With less than a year into his term, Mayor Johnson is facing backlash over the wave of migrants and the city’s plans to set up tent shelters.
Protesters outside Ramirez-Rosa’s office also advocated against migrant tent camps on Sunday.
“Today we all stand in solidarity and say: no tents in Chicago. Put them where it’s safe,” said Rev. Anthony Wilson, as reported by CBS News.
Many of the immigrants who have arrived in Chicago in the past year have come from Texas, largely under the leadership of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
As more migrants arrived, the city’s existing services came under pressure. Officials struggled to find longer-term housing solutions, while saying the city needed more help from state and federal governments. Brandon Johnson took office in May and has proposed tents.
Many migrants come from Venezuela, where a political, social and economic crisis over the past decade has pushed millions of people into poverty. At least 7.3 million people have left, many risking an often harrowing route to the United States.