'It's an invasion': Illinois House candidate Andre Smith discusses migrant crisis in Chicago on 'Fox & Friends'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Lawrence Jones reported on the migrant crisis from Chicago, Illinois, on the January 30 episode of 'Fox & Friends,' after the eviction notice for them was extended for a third time.

As Jones went around the sanctuary city to witness the situation first-hand, he was accompanied by Andre Smith, a local Democrat running for the Illinois House.

The lack of funds and infrastructure

To accommodate the illegal immigrants in the city, schools, park districts, and modest housing apartments have been used as shelters, which rendered them unavailable for the local residents.

On asking where the funds came for repurposing public infrastructure into migrant shelters, Smith responded, "The money is coming from the hard-owned taxpayers, taxpayers' dollars that don't have the luxury now to go to the park in their community because migrants are there."

"It's an invasion," he stressed.

Weaving their way on foot through the blocks, Smith showed Jones two shuttered buildings that are now sheltering migrants.

One of them was an academy for young women, while the other functioned as a health center that serviced patients struggling financially. Both institutions were shut down due to lack of funds.

"You tell us that there's no funding or the lack of funding. But then you bring migrants in and make them shelters. That's not the American way," said Smith.

"They have the funding. And every now and then they say, ‘Hey, we found more millions, we found more money.’"

Smith calls out Mayor Brandon Johnson

Smith blamed Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for letting the migrant crisis get out of hand, stressing that the situation got worse under his watchful eyes.

During a prior interview with Fox News, Smith mentioned his intention to initiate a recall of Johnson if elected, who secured the seat by defeating Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2023.

Additionally, he believes that Chicago's sanctuary status should be subject to a popular referendum by the city's voters.

Johnson has recently stated that his office "responded to this humanitarian mission with the full force of government." The Mayor also called Texas Gov Gregg Abbott "reckless" for sending migrant buses "all over the state of Illinois."