Chicago alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa has resigned from his leadership positions in city council after he tried to block a female colleague from attending a meeting on the city’s sanctuary status referendum.

The Democratic socialist, who was mayor Brandon Johnson’s City Council floor leader, has been accused of ‘bullying’ fellow Ald. Emma Mitts and of physically trying to keep her from entering the voting chamber during a special meeting last week.

The meeting was to discuss whether the city should ask voters in March if Chicago should remain a sanctuary city as it continues being overwhelmed with nearly 20,000 newly arrived migrants. 

Raymond Lopez opposes the referendum proposal and was reportedly trying to prevent the measure’s supporters from gaining a quorum to vote on the proposal. On Monday he resigned from his posts as chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee and as Johnson’s Council floor leader.

The debate on the bid to ask voters about Chicago’s sanctuary city status is scheduled to continue on Tuesday. 

Nearly 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022 and with not enough beds to go around, 4,000 have been forced to sleep at the airport, police stations and outdoors.

Chicago residents have opposed turning landmarks into emergency shelters, with some even asking city officials to close the city’s borders as mayor Johnson quietly signed a $29million contract with a security firm to build migrant base camps. 

Chicago alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa has resigned from his leadership positions in city council after he reportedly tried to block a female colleague from attending a vote on the city’s sanctuary status

Mitts, who is black, is the longest-serving woman on City Council. She has not yet commented on the incident

The meeting was to discuss whether the city should ask voters in March if Chicago should remain a sanctuary city as the it continues being overwhelmed with nearly 20,000 newly arrived migrants

After the incident, which was not caught on camera, Chicago’s black caucus said: ‘Alderman Ramirez-Rosa’s actions of physical and verbal harassment have let down our council and the people of Chicago.’ 

They added that the incident was ‘an unfortunate and direct reminder of the decades of challenges that African-American women serving in City Council have had to overcome in our combined efforts to enhance the upward mobility of our collective communities.’

In his resignation statement on Monday, Ramirez-Rosa said: ‘Because the position of Floor Leader especially requires the confidence of our colleagues, and because through my actions I lost that confidence, I have informed the mayor that I will be stepping down from that position. 

‘Furthermore, I am resigning as Chair of the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards effective December 1st, to allow time for an effective transition,” Ramirez-Rosa said in a statement.

‘I cannot take away the mistakes I made last week. But I hope to be able to rebuild the trust we have in each other as we move forward as a Council that addresses the important issues impacting Chicago.’

Chicago’s Aldermanic Black Caucus demanded Ramirez-Rosa’s resignation, as did protesters outside his office on Sunday. The Black Caucus includes 20 of the Council’s 50 members.

Mitts, who is black, is the longest-serving woman on City Council. She has not yet commented on the incident.

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Ramirez-Rosa was reportedly frantically trying to prevent alderpersons from entering the chamber and reaching the 26-vote quorum they needed to continue the meeting.

Following the incident last week, Ald. Raymond Lopez posted on X: ‘I am thoroughly disgusted & infuriated by Floor Leader @CDRosa harassing & manhandling my colleague from the West Side, Ald. Emma Mitts. 

Tensions between Chicago’s black and Hispanic communities have been running specially high because of the migrant crisis

Chicago residents have opposed turning landmarks into emergency shelters, with some even asking city officials to close the city’s borders

‘No man has the right to lay hands on anyone, let alone grab a woman & physically block her from exiting trying to intimidate her. Your misogyny was on full disgusting display (again). The only question is why does our mayor allow you to serve in any capacity? You refused to be called for quorum while hiding by the doors threatening your colleagues. You are clearly a threat to women, especially of color. Resign!’

Five Latino aldermen also called for Ramirez-Rosa’s resignation as floor leader and zoning committee chair.

The incident was not recorded, as it happened in the City Council’s antechamber, away from cameras.

Tensions between Chicago’s black and Hispanic communities have been running specially high because of the migrant crisis, and the Chicago Sun Times reported Johnson ‘simply could not afford to stand behind Ramirez-Rosa after he had been accused of getting physical with Ald. Emma Mitts.’ 

Like New York and other cities, Chicago has struggled to house asylum-seekers, slowly moving people out of temporary spaces and into shelters and, in the near future, tents.

Many of the immigrants who have arrived in Chicago during the last year have come from Texas

Many migrants are from Venezuela, where a political, social and economic crisis in the past decade has pushed millions of people into poverty

With less than a year in his tenure, mayor Johnson is facing backlash regarding the surge in migrants and the city’s plans to set up tent shelters. 

Protesters outside Ramirez-Rosa’s office on Sunday also advocated against tent camps for migrants. 

‘Today we all stand in solidarity, saying no tents in Chicago. Put them in a place where it’s safe,’ said Rev. Anthony Wilson, as reported by CBS News. 

Many of the immigrants who have arrived in Chicago during the last year have come from Texas, largely under the direction of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

As more migrants arrived, the city’s existing services were strained. Officials struggled to find longer-term housing solutions while saying the city needed more help from the state and federal governments. Brandon Johnson took office in May and has proposed tents.

Many migrants are from Venezuela, where a political, social and economic crisis in the past decade has pushed millions of people into poverty. At least 7.3 million have left, with many risking an often-harrowing route to the United States.