Chicago City Wire

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, has raised concerns about border policies following an incident involving a Venezuelan migrant in Chicago. Cortes said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the migrant committed multiple home invasions and sexual assaults. He criticized Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, arguing that current border policies pose a danger to public safety.

"An illegal from Venezuela, protected by ⁦@JBPritzker⁩ in Chicago," said Cortes, President. "broke into 4 residences there and sexually assaulted women. IN THEIR OWN HOMES!!! Open borders aren't just dumb, they're dangerous."

In a video attached to his post on X, Cortes described Governor Pritzker as "one of the most unhinged radicals" and accused him of comparing immigration enforcement to the Holocaust. Cortes claimed that these views contribute to public safety risks. He further alleged that a Venezuelan "illegal" broke into four homes and sexually assaulted women, stating these crimes were "100% preventable" and blaming Pritzker for prioritizing noncitizens over public safety.

According to the City of Chicago’s official New Arrivals portal, the city operates a unified sheltering system for migrants and maintains a situational dashboard detailing arrivals by bus and air. Since August 2022, tens of thousands of new arrivals have been documented, with services provided including shelter, food, and medical care. This information serves as a foundation for planning by alder offices and agencies regarding capacity and public safety coordination.

NBC Chicago's investigative reporting indicates that city spending on migrant response surpassed $400 million over two years by mid-2024. The expenses include shelter leases, staffing, and contracted services. The report draws from Chicago’s spending dashboards and contract records to outline vendor payments and cumulative costs since buses began arriving in 2022. This financial data is crucial to ongoing discussions about resource allocation, neighborhood impacts, and policy adjustments.

Cortes is recognized as an advocate for "patriotic populism" and pro-worker policies through his organization LAW. Before founding LAW, he served as a senior advisor and spokesman for Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. His commentary has appeared on networks such as CNBC, Fox News, and CNN.