Chicago Alderman Ray Lopez joined Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson to deliver a wide-ranging critique of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration, calling out the mayor’s hiring practices, youth violence response, and redirection of homeless services toward migrants in the city.
Lopez addressed the Department of Justice’s newly opened investigation into hiring practices within City Hall, accusing Johnson of openly favoring African-American candidates while marginalizing other qualified applicants. “Brandon Johnson said the quiet part out loud,” Lopez said. “This validates what employees have been telling us for months—there’s a system rigged against them.”
Lopez added that concerns over Johnson’s employment priorities extend beyond race, pointing to a political and ideological litmus test. “Even within the Black community, there’s a divide,” Lopez said. “This administration favors those who are politically aligned—leftist elites who look down on everyone else.”
On the mayor’s latest push to curb teen takeovers through curfews and youth outreach, Lopez dismissed the administration’s approach as unserious. He criticized Johnson for using young people as “props” while offering no tangible solutions. “There wasn’t a single Latino, Asian, or white teen up there—this was not about unity,” he said. “If you’re not willing to let police enforce the curfew, then it’s meaningless.”
Lopez also took aim at the city’s handling of illegal immigration and homelessness, alleging that services meant for longtime homeless residents have been redirected toward recent migrant arrivals. According to Lopez, Johnson has reclassified migrant shelters as homeless shelters to mask funding allocations and shield them from scrutiny.
“The city has quietly converted every migrant shelter into a so-called homeless shelter,” Lopez said. “That allows them to funnel HUD money toward migrants while indigenous homeless populations are left behind.”
He shared examples of neglected local homeless encampments, including one across from Back of the Yards High School, where officials refused help due to resource redirection. When that encampment was eventually cleared, law enforcement found a rifle used in a confrontation with sheriff’s deputies.
Lopez warned that merging Chicago’s existing homeless population with unvetted migrants has introduced dangerous new dynamics in shelters, including drug abuse and sex exploitation. “These shelters are now festering,” he said. “Nobody is monitoring them, and nobody seems to care as long as nobody drops dead.”
On the topic of crime and radicalization, Lopez discussed social and political ties between members of the Johnson administration and individuals connected to extremist ideologies. He pointed to images and affiliations that, in his view, demonstrate how deeply certain activists are embedded within the city’s political structure.
“These are the mayor’s allies,” Lopez said. “The radicals have been welcomed into government and feel empowered. And when violence erupts, no one is held accountable.”
Lopez concluded by warning that the administration’s political posturing has real consequences. “We are on a dangerous trajectory,” he said. “The city is being run by ideologues, not public servants.”
Lopez represents the 15th Ward and has been a frequent critic of both Mayor Johnson and his predecessor Lori Lightfoot.