Officials in Chicago are refusing to turn over records disclosing how they spent $120 million allegedly to care for illegal immigrants arriving in the city.
Mainstream media outlet CBS 2 recently reported that the Chicago Office of Budget and Management (OBM) denied the news team's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for those spending records. The office is also ignoring requests for these same records from the office of Illinois Attorney General (AG) Kwame Raoul. (Related: US border crisis persists: Thousands of migrants continue to cross daily despite the summer heat.)
CBS 2 initially filed a request for the spending records with the OBM under FOIA in February. FOIA generally requires government offices to turn over public records provided that those records do not pose a threat to national security. After months of delay, the city later denied the request and claimed that no such records exist.
Not giving up, CBS 2 then sent a FOIA request to the Chicago Department of Finance. The department responded by claiming that CBS 2 should request the records from other city departments. The news outlet then took this to Raoul's office, where CBS 2 is still waiting for a response after sending at least three separate letters requesting the records.
"This is plainly illegal," said government transparency attorney Matt Topic. "The statute [FOIA] says that a public body has to respond to a request for a review like this." He has previously sued the city of Chicago hundreds of times for not turning over public records.
Illegal immigrants have been bused into the city since August of last year, and while statistics are a bit muddled it is estimated that nearly 12,000 so-called "asylum seekers" are currently residing in the city.
During a city council hearing, Alderman Ariel Reboyras shared his current estimate that the city on average spends about $7,000 a month for each migrant. If this is the case, then it could mean that the city is – at a minimum – spending around $84 million a month for the population of illegals.
Officials routinely hide how they spend tax dollars on illegals
Despite the fact that $120 million has been set aside for spending on so-called "asylum seekers," it does not seem that the city's residents are benefiting from this. Asylum seekers, including women with children, can be seen camping outside of many places in Chicago, including right outside of police stations. CBS 2 even noted that it witnessed a mother and child on a street corner selling candy.
Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, who also wants to see how the government is spending taxpayer dollars, has also yet to receive any requested financial records.
"Heads need to roll," she said. "[You all] know some of that is some shady dealings. That's what that is. Somebody's lying. There are [records], they're just hiding them."
"Just say you ain't gonna give [the records] to us. Be honest. 'We ain't gonna give it to you because we f----d up the money.' Say that."
Taylor then warned that she would be willing to help take the office to federal court "and get whoever fired who made that decision" to not share the spending records.
Learn more about the influx of illegal immigrants into sanctuary cities like Chicago at InvasionUSA.news.
Watch this Next News Network report discussing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's $25 million taxpayer-funded plan to cover rent for illegal immigrants.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Chicago's Black community slams city officials over $51 million fund for migrants.
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