Chicago City Wire

Chicago pastor Corey Brooks, founder of the Project HOOD Communities Development Corporation, recently shared his personal opinion about the growing immigrant crisis in Chicago.

Known as "Rooftop Pastor," Brooks established New Beginnings Church in Chicago in 2000, and that served as his first glimpse of the despair in the heart of the city’s worst neighborhood. He later gained recognition for spending 94 days living on the roof of a motel near his church which had become a den of criminal activity including drugs, prostitution, and violence. Brooks eventually raised enough money to purchase the building and demolish it. In its place, the city intends to build a $23 million dollar state-of-the-art community center which will serve as a center for student development, violence deterrent, and economic development.

Brooks took to Twitter on May 12 to share his thoughts over the continued influx of people who have entered the country illegally who are being sent to Chicago due to its status as a sanctuary city.

"My heart is torn: I am totally against illegal immigration. I totally believe in America first. But I just received a phone call from an Elected official asking me to help with a bus load of immigrant families," Brooks said. His continued, saying his struggle lies in the call of Christians to “help those in need, including undocumented immigrants, with compassion and understanding, recognizing their dignity and worth as human beings,” but also their calling to “respect the laws of the governing authorities and to act in accordance with the laws of the land.” He cited Romans 13:1-7 which calls for people to submit to their governing bodies.

"Adding our community already has Big Issues we are faced with already. These immigration policies are horrible," Brooks tweeted.

Since August 2022, Chicago has received more than 8,000 people who have entered the country illegally from the US-Mexico border, an influx that has strained the city's services and resources. Officials have issued letters stating that there is no more room, food, or funding to humanely welcome migrants into the city. Temporary housing has been set up in local parks, while others have had to sleep on the floor of police stations. Brooks shared photos of these families huddled in blankets on the floor of the 3rd district’s police station tweeting, “This is absolutely crazy. Now our police are having to be social workers.”