Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declared Tuesday that incarcerating violent criminals is both racist and immoral, urging society to explore alternative approaches to crime.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Johnson argued, “We cannot incarcerate our way out of violence. We have already tried that, and we have ended up with the largest prison population in the world, without solving the problems of crime and violence.”
He added, “The addiction to jails and incarceration in this country— we have moved past that. It is racist. It is immoral. It is unholy, and it is not the way to drive violence down.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson: “We can not incarcerate our way out of vioIence… it’s racist…”
— America (@america) November 25, 2025
Chicago is infamous for its violent crime, recording hundreds of homicides annually. Much of this violence is concentrated in a handful of South and West Side neighborhoods, with young men comprising the majority of both victims and offenders.
Prison reform is only one of Johnson’s controversial proposals on law and order. He has also been outspoken against immigration enforcement raids carried out under President Trump’s administration, which sought to deport millions of undocumented individuals.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has DEMANDED for everyone to stop calling undocumented people, “illegal aliens”..
— American AF 🇺🇸 (@iAnonPatriot) October 25, 2025
Last month, Johnson drew national attention after reacting angrily when a reporter used the term “illegal alien,” comparing it to using the term “slave” for Black Americans.
Johnson said, “We don’t have illegal aliens. I don’t know if that’s from some sort of sci-fi message you wish to add. The legal term for my people were slaves. You want me to use that term too? Look, let’s just get the language right. We’re talking about undocumented individuals that are human beings. The last thing I’m going to do is accept the type of racist, nasty language to describe human beings.”
President Trump, meanwhile, has suggested that both Johnson and Pritzker should face consequences for refusing to cooperate with federal law enforcement officers as they carry out their duties, saying their stance undermines the enforcement of federal law.