Federal immigration enforcement in Chicago made headlines over the weekend, sparking protests and warnings from local officials. Senator Dick Durbin told a crowd in Pilsen that families were living in fear of federal agents. Yet, as Dan Proft noted, many residents in neighborhoods plagued by violent crime live with fear daily—and not from law enforcement.
On the program, Proft and Paul Vallas, former CPS CEO and 2023 mayoral candidate, discussed how Chicago’s leadership continues to ignore repeat violent offenders. Vallas pointed to data compiled by CWB Chicago: between 2020 and 2024, nearly 400 people arrested for murder or attempted murder in the city were already out on felony bail. He estimated the real number could be closer to 1,500 due to low clearance rates for such crimes.
Vallas credited the drop in murders and shootings this year to a tougher stance by newly elected State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, who has worked with CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling to keep dangerous offenders in custody. “The revolving door Kim Foxx created has been stopped,” Vallas said, noting Cook County Jail’s population has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
He also warned that “criminal justice reform” in Chicago has become a lucrative business, with lawyers collecting massive settlements in wrongful conviction lawsuits—many filed despite little evidence of actual innocence. Vallas estimated that pending cases could cost the city up to $2 billion.
The conversation turned to education, another area where Illinois leaders point to higher spending as proof of progress. Vallas pushed back, noting Illinois spends between 19 and 64 percent more per student than surrounding states, with Chicago Public Schools spending about $32,000 per pupil. Despite this, only 8 percent of Black students are proficient in math and 11 percent in reading. “The solution from state leaders is to end standards, end testing, and promote students regardless of achievement,” Vallas argued.
Meanwhile, Illinois taxpayers are covering enormous costs for migrant health care and education. Estimates suggest $1.5 billion was spent on Medicaid alone for undocumented residents last year. Yet, Vallas pointed out, Illinois ranks dead last in equity, with Chicago posting the highest percentage of Black residents living in poverty among the nation’s top metropolitan areas.
Vallas described Illinois under Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago under Mayor Brandon Johnson as suffering from the same problem: progressive politics that raise taxes and expand spending while leaving communities more dangerous, schools less effective, and residents worse off.