Three things Chicago is struggling to address before Democrats descend en masse for DNC – Washington Examiner

Democrats will arrive in Chicago in two months to nominate President Joe Biden as their presidential candidate, but the city is under fire as it hosts the major gathering.

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22, and Republicans are looking to highlight several problems with the city as Democrats make their November pitch to voters. Here are three of the matters Chicago will be on defense for as the national spotlight comes to Chi-town.

Crime

Chicago’s crime has made national headlines and will likely be a focus as the city hosts several prominent politicians and officials. While crime figures nationwide have dipped from recent peaks, they are still higher than in prior decades, and anecdotal crime stories in Chicago, among other cities, have led to crime being a key matter for voters in November.

Former President Donald Trump, who is running against Biden in November, has bashed Chicago specifically on the effects crime has had on stores in the city. At a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last month, Trump discussed how stores are requiring employee assistance to purchase many regular items in an effort to combat robbery.

While the area surrounding the convention will be under tight security control, the rest of the city will still be business as usual — which could mean significant amounts of crime as has been seen in recent weekends.

Immigration and border security

Chicago is more than 1,000 miles away from the southern border, but it has become the poster child for the migrant crisis.

Buses of immigrants from Texas have been sent to the city, alongside other major sanctuary cities such as New York City and Boston, and have overwhelmed city services. Many immigrants have been evicted from shelters as the system is pushed to the brink, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has had to change his strategy on the crisis as he navigates his second year helming the city.

The influx of immigrants has brought the border crisis to the forefront of voter’s minds in various cities far from the southern border and has prompted both Biden and Trump to weigh in on the matter.

Biden has pushed recent executive actions on immigration, while Trump has long maintained a hawkish policy on the border.

Civil unrest

Similar to 2020 and 1968, this year has seen significant protests, especially from anti-Israel demonstrators opposing the country’s war in Gaza against Hamas.

The vocal and, at times, unruly and violent protests have rocked most major cities in the country, and Chicago has not been spared from the protests.

When the Chicago City Council voted on a resolution condemning Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel later that month, it passed, but the session was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters. Since that protest, the demonstrations have continued and have caused disruptions in the city at times, including at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport in April.

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At the 1968 DNC in Chicago, mass protests over the Vietnam War were curbed by police and the National Guard leading to national headlines over the confrontations. Anti-Israel protesters are trying to attract thousands of demonstrators to get as close to the convention as possible and pressure Democrats to withdraw support for Israel.

The DNC will be held in Chicago a month before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from July 15-18.