Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s executive order granting coronavirus benefits to immigrants and refugees stings especially hard for one group of Americans -- families whose loved ones were victims of illegal alien crime.

Don Rosenberg, one of the founders of a nationwide group of those families (AVIAC), told Chicago City Wire that “not one penny should be spent helping those who have no business being here.”

“As many businesses will close, and many will lose their jobs, help American citizens and legal residents. Deport illegal aliens,” he said.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot

Rosenberg’s son, Drew, was killed in 2010 in San Francisco by a car driven by an illegal immigrant from Honduras. The driver was sentenced to six months in jail and released after 43 days.  

The benefits for immigrants and refugees under the order Lightfoot signed Tuesday include a Housing Assistance Grant program, an online resources program for students through the city’s public schools and a $100 million Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund to help struggling businesses.

Upon signing the order, Lightfoot said that it’s “more than just an official decree, it is a statement of our values as a city and as Americans.”

The order also abets the breaking of federal law, and Lightfoot, as a former federal prosecutor should know that, Rosenberg said.

“It’s long past time for the Department of Justice to prosecute those who violate the law under Title 8 Section 1324,” Rosenberg said. “Politicians like Lightfoot should not be immune from following federal law. If you want the cooperation and assistance of the federal government, you need to reciprocate.”

Another AVIAC member, Chicago’s Brian McCann, said that Lightfoot’s move was political.

“She knows as a former federal prosecutor that giving grant money to illegal aliens is against the law,” McCann said. “She is still adjusting to her new reality as a politician and The Chicago Way.”

McCann’s brother, Dennis, was hit by a car and killed in 2011 crossing a Chicago street. The driver, who had a blood alcohol content of 0.29, was paroled, fled to Mexico and never prosecuted for his crimes.

As sanctuary jurisdictions, Chicago and Illinois shield illegal immigrants from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal authorities.