{"id":41828,"date":"2025-11-07T02:36:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T02:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/41828\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T02:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T02:36:12","slug":"what-la-county-can-learn-from-chicagos-progressive-policymaking-elected-leadership-long-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/41828\/","title":{"rendered":"What LA County can learn from Chicago\u2019s progressive policymaking & elected leadership | Long Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article is a co-publishing effort between Los Angeles-based CAL\u00d3 News and Chicago-based Borderless Magazine.<\/p>\n

\"Byron<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chicago’s 25th Ward Alderman, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, speaks at a Funds Not Feds rally on October 11, 2025. (Image credit: Sarah-Ji, Love and Struggle Photos).<\/p>\n

It was a sunny autumn day on October 25 in Chicago. The leaves had begun to fall from the trees, changing to various shades of orange and marking the beginning of a season. Children and parents were gathering for the annual community-organized Halloween Parade in the Old Irving Park neighborhood in the city\u2019s Northwest Side.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just minutes before the festivities were set to begin, a small crowd gathered outside a home as federal agents tried to detain construction workers working on a house near the parade route.<\/p>\n

Tension quickly escalated. Neighbors emerged from their homes, shouting in protest and moments later, tear gas canisters struck the pavement. Chaos erupted as families and children scattered for cover\u2014only ten minutes before the neighborhood\u2019s much-loved parade was scheduled to begin.<\/p>\n

In recent months, Chicago has found itself on the receiving end of increased federal immigration enforcement<\/a>, from\u00a0the militarized raid on the South Shore apartment complex<\/a> on Chicago\u2019s South Side, to the immigration sweeps in predominantly Mexican neighborhoods like Little Village<\/a> and Pilsen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s residents and elected leaders, however, have refused to stand idle in the face of targeted attacks against community members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the start, both Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have remained undeterred against Trump\u2019s direct threats towards Chicagoans and its elected leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of the federal escalation in Old Irving Park, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino<\/a> to appear in court, questioning his decision to fire tear gas in residential areas. Frustrated that federal authorities ignored her earlier directive to limit riot-control weapons against peaceful protesters, journalists and bystanders, Ellis demanded daily reports from Bovino. \u201cKids dressed in Halloween costumes walking to a parade do not pose an immediate threat to the safety of a law enforcement officer,\u201d she said. \u201cThey just don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past month, federal agents have intensified raids through several Chicago neighborhoods, initially concentrating on the South and Southwest Sides before expanding their operations to North Side areas, including Wrigleyville, Albany Park and Edgewater.<\/p>\n

\"Border<\/p>\n

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Border Patrol Chief Greg Paviono outside the Broadview Detention Center on October 3, 2025\u00a0(Image credit: Sarah-Ji, Love and Struggle Photos).<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s elected leadership has responded to the Trump administration\u2019s escalation of violence with progressive policy and organized community pushback. Mayor Johnson is firmly leading as a strong advocate for the immigrant communities he represents.<\/p>\n

During a news conference<\/a>, Johnson fired\u00a0back against a reporter\u2019s use of the term \u201cillegal aliens,\u201d suggesting that the language dehumanized immigrants. \u201cWe don\u2019t have illegal aliens,\u201d he said, before standing firm. \u201cLet\u2019s get the language right, we\u2019re talking about undocumented individuals that are human beings \u2013 the last thing I\u2019m going to do is accept that racist, nasty language to describe human beings.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Johnson remains one of the few mayors of a major U.S. city to take an unequivocal stand alongside working-class immigrant communities. In Southern California, where large segments of the population are immigrants or come from immigrant backgrounds, local organizers have criticized their city councils for inaction, drawing sharp contrasts with the more assertive leadership seen in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\"Brandon\"<\/p>\n

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Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the media following a roundtable backing a campaign for work permits for all on April 4, 2024.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photo credit: Max Herman\/Borderless Magazine.<\/p>\n

In Southern California, local organizing collectives have been mobilizing to monitor and disrupt federal immigration<\/a> operations. Many locals have urged elected officials to take the lead in protecting their constituents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the weeks following the 2024 election, California residents voiced concern about the need for stronger protections ahead of Trump\u2019s inauguration. In response, the L.A. City Council unanimously approved the city\u2019s final sanctuary ordinance<\/a> on November 19, 2024, adopting it formally on December 3. Mayor Bass signed the measure into law on December 9.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet despite those efforts, federal immigration sweeps have since intensified across Southern California, reaching communities from Long Beach to Orange County. In L.A., Mayor Bass has been largely absent from the public eye since a \u201cfederal immigration sweep\u201d occurred in broad daylight at MacArthur Park in July<\/a>, which was later learned to be a photo op. Her leadership throughout the summer raids has been repeatedly called into question.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite steps to limit federal intervention, Mayor Bass has emphasized that the city cannot unilaterally stop federal enforcement \u2013 echoing similar sentiments from other L.A. County elected officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and the Long Beach City Council have faced criticism from residents for not doing more to protect the community from escalating federal activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t control the federal government, we don\u2019t control ICE, we don\u2019t control the National Guard, we don\u2019t control this president \u2014 and they don\u2019t notify us when they come into town, unfortunately,\u201d Richardson said during a June city council meeting<\/a>, after ICE operations intensified in the region.<\/p>\n

\"LA\/LB<\/p>\n

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A demonstrator holds a sign up outside of Long Beach City Hall before a city council meeting on June 10, 2025. (Image credit: Michelle Zacarias)<\/p>\n

Richardson added that while the City Council does not support the presence of federal agents in Long Beach, \u201cthe reality is, there is an operation over the next 30 or 60 \u2014 who knows how many \u2014 days, and there will be activities in our region.\u201d He urged residents to seek support from immigrant rights organizations instead.<\/p>\n

In July of 2025, a federal court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that limited federal immigration enforcement tactics. However, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted this TRO in September 2025, allowing federal agents to conduct sweeps as before.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More recently, Mayor Bass joined U.S. Congressional Representative Robert Garcia in calling for a congressional investigation into alleged unlawful detention\/abuse of U.S. citizens and immigrants by federal agents.<\/p>\n

Chicago showcases working-class power and solidarity<\/p>\n

While it may be easy to point to shortcomings in Los Angeles\u2019s elected leadership, Chicago\u2019s political response is not a coincidence\u2014 it\u2019s by design. Mayor Johnson has worked closely with a coalition of aldermen who have issued strong, coordinated responses on behalf of their communities. Together, they have not only shifted Chicago\u2019s political landscape towards more progressive policy but also reshaped the city\u2019s political culture to emphasize collaborative leadership.<\/p>\n

In October, Alderperson Jessie Fuentes of the 26th District, which includes Humboldt Park and Logan Square, was filmed being grabbed and handcuffed<\/a> by federal officers after requesting to see a warrant at a Humboldt Health Chicago. The incident transpired after plainclothed \u201cagents\u201d\u00a0 showed up at the hospital and detained a patient, which fell under Fuentes\u2019s aldermanic district.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Jessie<\/p>\n

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Screen grab of the live video taken on October 3rd, 2025, of 26th Ward Alderperson,\u00a0Jessie Fuentes, after she was handcuffed by federal “agents” while asking about a warrant for a detained man.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While some might be surprised by the active involvement of elected leadership to stand up for constituents, it is very much by design that Chicago boasts such progressive elected representation.<\/p>\n

Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez<\/a> spoke with CAL\u00d3 News about the work of Chicago\u2019s elected leadership on the importance of showing up to protect constituents.\u00a0 \u201cThese are our neighbors,\u201d he stated,\u00a0 \u201cwhen they detain one of our tamale vendors \u2013 these are families that are torn apart, these are neighbors who are being affected. So we take this very personally.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Ecuadorian immigrant and father of three is part of the Progressive Reform Caucus of the Chicago City Council, which was established in 2013 as a coalition of aldermen dedicated to building a more just and equitable city. In 2019, following that year\u2019s aldermanic elections, six members of the Chicago chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America formed the Socialist Caucus, Sigcho-Lopez being one of them. All six later joined the broader Progressive Reform Caucus, reinforcing a growing movement within City Hall to pursue systemic reform through collaborative, values-driven governance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I was an alderman, I was an organizer and teacher,\u201d said Sigcho-Lopez. The 25th Ward Alderman says he thinks of his role as an organizer of working-class people, asking, \u201chow we can be better public servants to protect our community, our neighbors, and all constituents?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When asked what made Chicago\u2019s resistance against DHS and other federal officers so effective, he emphasized the importance of embracing different approaches. While some have focused on more rapid-response solutions, like whistle patrols, others have leaned into legislative protections, such as the establishment of \u201cice-free zones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Byron<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez joined fellow elected officials and community members to denounce federal agents’ raids on Little Village on Oct. 23, 2025.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Credit: Mauricio Pe\u00f1a\/Borderless Magazine.<\/p>\n

The executive order signed<\/a> by Mayor Johnson in early October, as part of the “Protecting Chicago” initiative, aims to protect the constitutional rights of residents and ensure people feel safe accessing city services. It prohibits federal immigration agents from using city-owned and some private properties as staging grounds for raids or other operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sigcho-Lopez also emphasized that, despite Chicago\u2019s long history of neighborhood segregation, the city has shown a unified front when it comes to protecting its youth, citing \u201cchild endangerment\u201d as one of the leading crises they\u2019re navigating under Trump\u2019s federal invasion. \u201cWe\u2019ve had people around the schools, churches, hospitals, but they’re all working together and built up a large network of rapid response.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

That coordination among neighbors, he added, has made it easier to document incidents and hold authorities accountable, from a legal standpoint. Community networks have played a key role in recording instances of aggression by federal agents, often deployed with little oversight. \u201cWe\u2019re working together collectively,\u201d he said, \u201cto make sure we don\u2019t allow divide-and-conquer tactics to tear us apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Key lessons for Los Angeles County policymakers\u00a0<\/p>\n

As officials in L.A. County consider how to respond to the continued targeted enforcement and attacks on immigrant communities, Chicago offers a set of lessons of their own that could inform their next chapter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Protestor\"<\/p>\n

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Protestor outside of the Broadview Detention Center on Oct 11, 2025 (Image credit: Sarah-Ji, Love and Struggle Photos).<\/p>\n

Drawing on Chicago\u2019s example, here are strategic takeaways for L.A. County to work alongside community advocates to enact progressive policy that will support better protections for working-class immigrant communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not unlike Illinois, California has entrenched inequities, sprawling governance structures across cities and unincorporated areas. Chicago, however, has showcased that large cities can unify under working-class solidarity and by pairing progressive policymaking with community defense. Chicagoland’s elected leaders have risen to the challenge that many politicians nationwide have not; instead of just talking, they are taking action.<\/p>\n

Alderman Sigcho-Lopez, who is a shining example of that action, says it’s about not just giving lip service but by also \u201cholding the line\u201d to protect democracy across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are learning how to fight these mercenaries with everything we have,\u201d he said, \u201cwith the courts, with legislative bodies \u2013 but also in the streets, mobilizing, responding, delivering food, protecting each other, protecting our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Los Angeles County\u2019s elected leaders, the challenge is to translate those lessons into a distinct context: one defined by sprawling geography, layered jurisdictions and overlapping enforcement regimes. But the core lesson remains: when enforcement actions are inevitable, what matters most deeply is how policy is structured, oversight is exercised and community partners are mobilized matter deeply\u2014 for justice, trust and long-term public safety.<\/p>\n

\"Rossana\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

33rd Ward Office and\u00a0Alderwoman Rossana Rodr\u00edguez S\u00e1nchez\u00a0speaks at the ‘Funds not Feds’ rally on October 11, 2025.\u00a0(Image credit: Sarah-Ji, Love and Struggle Photos)<\/p>\n

While cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland have been criticized by Trump because their elected leaders have been vocal in opposing his corruption and policies. Sigcho-Lopez notes that these cities share a common trait: a long history of resilience and resistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of this comes from the movement on the ground,\u201d he states, \u201cOur policies that are informed by people on the ground, rapid responders, teachers \u2013 all of us connected with the whole purpose of protecting each other, protecting our neighborhoods and protecting our city.\u201d<\/p>\n