Emanuel Tells Undocumented Immigrants Chicago 'Always Will Be A Sanctuary City'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Even as President-elect Donald Trump vows to immediately deport 2 to 3 million undocumented immigrants when he takes office in January, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is reaffirming Chicago's commitment as a so-called "sanctuary city."
"To be clear about what Chicago is, it always will be a sanctuary city," the mayor said Monday.
Emanuel sought to reassure those worried about Trump's interview on "60 Minutes," in which he said he plans to immediately deport or incarcerate up to 3 million undocumented immigrants who have criminal records.
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"What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably 2 million, it could be even 3 million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate," Trump said in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl. "But we're getting them out of our country, they're here illegally."
Trump also has promised to block federal funding for sanctuary cities like Chicago.
Lurie Children's Hospital CEO Patrick Magoon called Trump's vow a public health crisis, and said undocumented immigrants and their relatives have been making calls to suicide hotlines since the election.
"Calls, which have increased by 200 percent at the state level and 250 percent at the national level," he said.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez said if Trump revokes President Barack Obama's executive order shielding more than a million children of undocumented immigrants from deportation, the president-elect would be declaring war on the immigrant community.
