Chicago City Wire

This weekend, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed several key issues and participated in community events across the city. On Friday, Johnson called for the United Nations Human Rights Council to send independent investigators to Chicago to examine human rights concerns linked to recent federal immigration enforcement actions. According to Johnson, “For too long we have not invested enough in our young people, because too many people have seen them as a problem, and not as an opportunity. We know that when young people have access to meaningful opportunities, when they have support beyond the classroom, they better respond and they are better equipped to succeed and live a fulfilling life.”

The mayor’s call followed reports of federal agents using tear gas and flashbang grenades on protesters in Little Village, as well as pepper spray being used on a one-year-old child in suburban Cicero.

On Saturday morning, Johnson attended a Protecting Chicago Budget Town Hall at Goethe Elementary School on the Northwest Side. He was joined by Aldermen Daniel La Spata (1st), Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd), Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward), and Anthony Quezada (35th). The event focused on protecting programs that assist vulnerable populations in Chicago. Residents had the opportunity to ask questions about the proposed budget.

Later that day, Johnson took part in the opening of After School Matters’ new Orleans Teen Center in Cabrini-Green. The project transformed a former Catholic school into an education center with facilities such as a skilled trades lab, innovation lab, culinary center, and gymnasium. Supported by a $5 million Community Development Grant from the Department of Planning and Development, this center will provide around 2,100 paid out-of-school time opportunities annually for local teens.

In response to incidents involving federal officers—such as shots reportedly fired at law enforcement personnel and use of pepper spray on a child—Johnson issued a statement via social media platform X.

He also appeared on MSNBC with Reverend Al Sharpton to discuss these events along with his invitation for UN experts to visit Chicago and talked about how the federal government shutdown is affecting the city.

On Sunday, Johnson continued his town hall series at Lakeview’s Center on Halstead alongside Alderman Bennett Lawson (44th). Discussions centered around safety measures within the LGBTQ+ community included in his budget proposal.

Finally, Mayor Johnson announced that for the first time in its five-decade history “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” will feature Chicago as host of its Midwest countdown event through partnerships with ABC7 and Dick Clark Productions.