Chicago City Wire

Brian Kasal, President of Northside Republicans, said that Illinois Democrats should be held accountable for prioritizing billions in migrant spending over essential services for residents. Kasal made his statement to Chicago City Wire.

"Illinois Democrats should be held accountable for directing billions in taxpayer dollars toward migrant care while many Illinois citizens continue to struggle with unmet needs," said Kasal. "These spending choices raise serious concerns about priorities, especially as essential services for residents face underfunding. This new $55.2 billion budget is another example of liberal lawmakers putting political agendas ahead of the taxpayers who fund state government. Until elected leaders focus on structural reforms and responsible spending, Illinois residents will continue to bear the cost of misplaced priorities."

According to the Illinois Policy Institute, by the end of 2025, Illinois will have spent over $2.5 billion on migrant care, far exceeding projections and straining taxpayers. Health care accounted for $1.6 billion through July 2024. The adult migrant program, expected to cost $126.4 million from 2021–2023, totaled $485.3 million. The senior program cost $412.3 million, nearly double estimates. An additional $478 million has funded migrant services since 2023. Budget pressures have led to the adult program’s termination in 2025, as critics question Governor J.B. Pritzker’s spending priorities.

The Illinois Policy Institute also reported that Illinois’ $55.2 billion budget for 2026 is $2 billion more than the previous year and includes over $800 million in added taxpayer costs. Approved with limited review, the plan uses tax increases, fund sweeps, and delayed payments to balance its books. It underfunds pensions by $5 billion and eliminates the Property Tax Relief Grant, resulting in a $43 million property tax hike. Lawmakers included over $6,000 in pay raises within this budget framework. Since 2019, Governor Pritzker has increased the state budget by $16 billion and approved over 50 tax hikes.

As of February 2024, NBC News reported that over 13,200 migrants were living in 28 Illinois-run shelters according to a city census of new arrivals. Most migrants arrived since June 2023 as part of a busing campaign from southern border cities. Over 100,000 migrants have been shuttled to so-called sanctuary cities since April 2022; about 35,000 of them to Chicago specifically. Chicago, along with New York City and Denver, has struggled to keep up with the demand for housing and social services brought on by this influx.

Kasal was first appointed as President of Chicago's Northside Republican Club in 2021 and is a resident of Chicago's 43rd Ward. According to the organization’s website, he is "focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing the Party’s membership, and communicating the Party’s positions on issues that matter to Chicago Northside voters."