Dupage Policy Journal

Mark Rice, a candidate for the 8th Congressional District, is seeking to highlight the efforts of community activists protesting against the City of Chicago's "sanctuary city" status. Rice was present at a press conference on December 7, where activists voiced their opposition to housing illegal immigrants at St. Bartholomew School located at 4910 W. Addison St.

“We were out listening to residents who want a seat at the table and held a press conference yesterday in Chicago,” Rice said on Facebook. “Community organizer Pat Gibbons told reporters he would file an injunction to keep illegal migrants out of a shuttered school on the Northwest side.”

“The sanctuary city status sounds so great until the politicians have to put our tax money where their mouth is… and the city doesn’t have the money or resources to accommodate everyone in a humanely way. It is a crisis and it’s sad because we are now in the cold winter months of Chicago. What is your opinion?”

Gibbons also emphasized the strain on the city’s resources and finances, arguing that maintaining this status becomes challenging when it comes to allocating tax money in a humane manner. Particularly during Chicago's harsh winter months, Gibbons described the situation as a crisis and questioned whether funding should be prioritized for illegal immigrants over the 68,000 homeless individuals, including veterans, in the city.

"Our politicians have no clue what they are doing," Gibbons said. "They have to take care of their own people before they take care of people from the outside." 

Gibbons has subsequently called for an injunction to stop using improperly zoned buildings as shelters for illegal immigrants.

Rice's campaign for representation in the 8th Congressional District focuses on key areas such as economic growth, fiscal discipline, tax relief, immigration reform and border security, according to his website. An executive in the energy sector with 35 years of residence in Illinois, Rice currently serves as CEO of Energy CX. Under his leadership, Energy CX has emerged as a nationwide leader in providing energy solutions with a team of 70 professionals.

The current representative for the 8th Congressional District is U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill). The district includes northern Cook County, northern DuPage County and northeast Kane County. The map of the district can be found on Krishnamoorthi’s website.