City Council Avoids Controversial Votes on Welcoming City Carve-Outs and Speed Limit

The Chicago City Council sidesteps contentious votes on immigration and speed limits, opting for further discussion instead.

City Council Avoids Controversial Votes on Welcoming City Carve-Outs and Speed Limit
City Council Avoids Controversial Votes on Welcoming City Carve-Outs and Speed Limit

There was a lot of pushback from immigration rights groups, and in the end, the Council voted 39 to 11 to table the proposal. This was led by two Hispanic alderpersons, Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares, who wanted to bring back those exceptions that had been cut during the previous administration.

Lopez and Tabares argued that allowing police to cooperate with federal immigration agents would help avoid conflicts, especially with the Trump administration looming. But the current administration pushed back hard, saying it could lead to lawsuits and make immigrants less likely to report crimes.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul also chimed in, warning that the proposed changes could lead to racial profiling and harm survivors of human trafficking. He emphasized that local law enforcement shouldn’t enforce federal immigration laws, which could scare off witnesses and victims from coming forward.

So, with this vote, it looks like Chicago police won’t be helping with any mass deportations if that ever happens. Fred Tsao from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights was relieved, saying it’s a win for the rights of all residents.

On the speed limit front, Ald. Daniel LaSpata decided not to push for the lower limit just yet. Instead, he wants to form a working group to look into traffic enforcement and find fairer ways to handle violations. He’s aware of the concerns about how this could lead to more tickets, especially in minority communities.

LaSpata is open to various options, including using funds from traffic fines to improve safety at intersections instead of just penalizing drivers. He hopes that one day, Chicago can follow other cities in adopting a 25 mph limit, but only when it’s done right.

In other news, the Council agreed to ban the sale of certain hemp products in some wards and approved nearly $40 million in settlements for police misconduct cases. They also discussed a concert at Wrigley Field and some proposed changes to the Chicago Board of Education appointments.

Disclaimer: All images comply with fair use for educational and informational purposes. Sourced from public platforms. Have questions? Contact us.
Fact-Checking Policy: Accurate information is our focus. If errors are found, please let us know, and corrections will be made swiftly.