Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the impact of federal immigration enforcement and food assistance cuts on Chicago residents. The event took place during the 50th Session of the Working Group for the Universal Periodic Review and was organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Human Rights First.
“We cannot do this alone,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “That is why I call on this Council to hold the federal government of the United States to the same standards of accountability you apply elsewhere in the world. No country should be above international law. Human rights are universal—or they are meaningless.”
Mayor Johnson invited UN independent experts to visit Chicago to observe what he described as abuses by federal immigration agents. He also urged consideration of a special session by the Human Rights Council to examine what he called an ongoing crisis in the United States.
His testimony comes as the Trump administration has not submitted its required Universal Periodic Review report to the council.
On food assistance cuts, Johnson said, “As someone with first-hand experience, I can tell you how humiliating it is when you open the refrigerator and you have nothing to eat. In the wealthiest country in the world, there is no reason why our federal government should allow hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans to go hungry.”
Addressing immigration raids, he stated, “In Chicago, we live with the consequences of that moral failure every day. Families torn apart by immigration raids. Raids that have targeted daycare teachers, ride-share drivers, and restaurant cooks. Honest, hardworking, law-abiding people who contribute to the soul of Chicago, who literally make our city run.”
Other officials participating in the panel included Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner; Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell; Alaska State Commission for Human Rights Chairperson Dorene Lorenz; Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Executive Director Robin Toma; and New York City Commission on Human Rights Deputy Commissioner JoAnn Kamuf Ward.
The panel discussed recent developments related to federal immigration enforcement and how local governments are working to uphold human rights standards.
Mayor Johnson outlined efforts under Chicago’s Protecting Chicago Initiative aimed at educating residents about their constitutional rights and ensuring local law enforcement follows Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance. He also highlighted community-led Rapid Response networks designed to verify reports of federal agent activity and prevent misinformation.
Johnson described several recent incidents involving federal agents in Chicago, including use of tear gas at a children’s parade, chokeholds on residents, zip-tying children during nighttime removals from homes, firing pepper balls at journalists, and detaining a daycare teacher.
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