(DC Pundit) – Chicago’s Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson has once again proven that when it comes to dealing with real problems, the left’s instinct is to throw taxpayer money at something that fixes nothing. His latest brainchild? A “Healing Arts” mental health program, not for victims of violent crime or struggling families, but to help residents emotionally cope with immigration raids targeting illegal aliens.
Speaking Wednesday on Chicago’s WCPT 820’s ‘Driving it Home’ Johnson proudly revealed that the city is “literally paying artists” to provide mental health support for those distressed over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
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“We’re connecting mental health towards what we call our Healing Arts Chicago program,” Johnson said. “Working with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and with our community colleges where we’re literally paying artists, paying artists to provide activities to ensure that — and roughly 200 artists, to be specific — paying these artists to create these activities that ultimately provide the type of mental health support that’s so critical, right? With so many things that are going on and so much anxiety as Donald Trump has, essentially militarized the ICE agents and has increased their budget to the extent to which the only other two budgets that are bigger than ICE are the militaries of the United States of America and China.”
Translation: while Chicago grapples with surging crime, a broken public school system, and skyrocketing costs of living, the mayor is funneling taxpayer dollars into art therapy sessions for people upset that immigration laws are being enforced.
Johnson’s framing of ICE as “militarized” is meant to paint the enforcement of federal law as something sinister. In reality, ICE’s mission under President Trump has been simple: remove those who are in the country illegally, especially those with criminal records. That’s not “militarization” — that’s law and order. But to Johnson and the radical left, enforcing immigration law is apparently a trauma-inducing event requiring government-funded coloring classes and interpretive dance therapy.
The mayor’s rhetoric is also telling. He’s not talking about helping Chicago’s residents deal with the trauma of losing a loved one to gang violence or protecting children from drug overdoses. He’s laser-focused on softening the emotional blow for those sympathetic to people who knowingly violated U.S. immigration laws.
This is the same city leadership that has seen violent crime skyrocket, businesses flee, and entire neighborhoods become unsafe. Yet Johnson’s solution to “anxiety” about ICE is to spend public funds on hiring about 200 artists to run “activities” — activities that, no matter how well-meaning, will do nothing to make Chicago streets safer or hold criminals accountable.
Perhaps the real “healing” Chicago needs is leadership willing to enforce the law, protect its citizens, and stand up for the people who follow the rules. President Trump has made it clear that immigration laws exist for a reason, to protect American jobs, communities, and sovereignty. If that makes Chicago’s far-left mayor uncomfortable, that’s his problem. The rest of the country is more interested in safety and security than in taxpayer-subsidized drum circles for the lawless.
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