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Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson erupted at a reporter on Friday after they used the term “illegal aliens” during a press briefing, slamming the phrase as “racist” and “nasty.”
In a video posted Saturday to the official Instagram account of the Chicago mayor, a reporter asked Johnson about a report on city spending related to “illegal aliens” in Chicago that he was allegedly required to file with the White House.
Johnson immediately pushed back on the language.
“We don’t have illegal aliens,” Johnson said to the reporter. “I don’t know if that’s from some sort of sci-fi message that you wish you’ve had… Well listen, the legal term for my people were slaves. You want me to use that term too? So, look, let’s just get the language right. We’re talking about undocumented individuals that are human beings.”
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speak at a press conference on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. Johnson erupted at a reporter after they used the term “illegal aliens,” slamming the phrase as “racist” and “nasty.” (@chicagosmayor via Instagram)
Johnson added that he would not “accept that type of racist, nasty language to describe human beings.”
The blue city’s mayor then shifted to discuss his administration’s spending priorities, touting his $16.7 billion budget that he said invests in education, transportation, housing, environmental justice, youth employment and community safety.
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“And we are going to challenge the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share,” Johnson said.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., then chimed in to back Johnson’s remarks, arguing that immigration violations are not criminal offenses.
People use their phones to record as they argue with federal agents at an intersection in the Cicero neighborhood during an immigration raid, after President Donald Trump ordered increased federal law enforcement presence to assist in crime prevention, in Chicago, Oct. 22, 2025. (Jim Vondruska/Reuters)
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“It is very important that people in Illinois and across the country understand the immigration system is a civil system,” Jayapal said. “Undocumented presence in the United States is not a criminal offense. And so thank you for the clarification on language.”
Johnson has previously been outspoken in his defense of Chicago’s immigration policies and in his criticism of President Donald Trump’s approach to crime and border enforcement.
Last month, the Chicago mayor delivered a fiery news conference condemning Trump’s crackdown on crime.
President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press on October 19, 2025, aboard Air Force One. Earlier this month, the White House escalated its feud with Illinois Democratic leaders, releasing a video attacking Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness that has not led to safe communities,” Johnson said at the time.
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Last week, three illegal immigrants and six U.S. citizens were arrested in the Chicago area in what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dubbed “one of the most violent days” of Operation Midway Blitz.
Operation Midway Blitz was launched last month in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run allegedly caused by Julio Cucul-Bol, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.
DHS stated the goal of the operation was to “target criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in sanctuary Illinois.”
The Chicago mayor’s office and Rep. Pramila Jayapal did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
