Voters in Chicago have voted against a proposed tax increase that many believe was a backdoor effort to raise money in order to support the city's growing migrant crisis. 

During Tuesday's primary election, voters were asked whether they would support increasing levies on high-valued real estate sales to address the problem of homelessness. 

The vote appears to have failed by a margin of 54 to 46 percent. 

The city's far-left Democratic Mayor, Brandon Johnson, had claimed that the money would be used to tackle the issue of homelessness. However, opponents pointed out that the Chicago City Council maintained the right to spend the money any way it chooses and it would inevitably be used to prop up the tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in the city.

2019: 70% of Chicagoans vote for @GovPritzker's failed progressive tax

2024: 54% of Chicagoans vote *against* @ChicagosMayor's real estate tax hike

This is an enormous embarrassment for Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union.https://t.co/FcYoU9nAze

— Illinois Policy (@illinoispolicy) March 20, 2024

Cornel Darden, the chairman of the Chicago Southland Black Chamber of Commerce, told Center Square that the bill's supporters sought to push a narrative that only wealthy white people would end up paying more: 

They make it a race thing and say, 'we're just going to tax the rich, white people and we're going to help out everyone else,' but it's not just white people who own property just north of a million. Our chamber members own property north of a million dollars.

Home insecurity is a huge issue. When the price of doing business as a landowner goes up, then the price of rent goes up. Whether you're a business owner renting a storefront or you're renting an apartment in Chicago.

Also looking for a slice of the pie was the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which is seeking housing assistance for its members ahead of contract talks this summer. 

Local media reported that CTU members even pulled their voting-age students out of the classroom and pressured them to support the measure. 

Blatant election rigging in Chicago.

Voting-age students were marched out of classrooms and straight to the polls.

Chicago Teachers Union organizers took the students there & pressured them to vote for Mayor Johnson's tax hike.

CTU invested a lot of money to support this… pic.twitter.com/KBmy0QVrri

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 17, 2024

However, one can safely assume that the opposition to the tax hike was rooted in the fear that such funds would be used to provide hospitality for illegal immigrants, tens of thousands of whom have arrived in the city after crossing the southern border. According to Chicago's official data, the figure currently stands at around 37,000, although that will inevitably be rising by the day.

As Chicago Democrats scramble to accommodate the migrants, tensions have begun to boil over. In fact, the situation has become so dire that officials have started to evict migrants from shelters, although Mayor Johnson insists the city remains "committed to compassion." 

"By encouraging resettlement while also providing case-specific extensions with a focus on health and safety, we are advancing a pathway to stability and self-sufficiency," Johnson said this week. "While we know Chicago’s limited resources cannot meet the full scale of need across the New Arrivals Mission. We are constantly evaluating options that will lead to better care for all Chicagoans."