EXTRA: Emanuel among those fighting against Trump’s DACA dump

Amy and I have had the pleasure of hosting dreamers in our home for dinner. You can see in their eyes and hear in their voices how much it means to them to be part of the fabric of America. President Trump’s decision to end DACA is not only harmful to these young people, it strikes a blow against our core American values and is an affront to basic human decency. It is a betrayal of more than 800,000 children who have done nothing wrong and of the unique role the United States has played in the world for centuries. The United States is a nation of immigrants, not a country that tears families apart or deports children who have placed their faith in the promise of America. I know countless dreamers in Chicago who are talented, hard-working and dedicated to their families and the only home they have ever known. Not only will Chicago continue to welcome dreamers, we will pursue every legal option to protect our children, defend our immigrant communities and uphold the enduring promise of the American Dream.

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EMANUEL: Fighting against Trump? Or for re-election?

If it turns out that Rahm Emanuel is able to resuscitate his political image enough to win a re-election bid come 2019, it will be because of actions like this statement he issued Tuesday in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that the president supposedly intends to do six months from now.

“Good Rahm” fighting against the tyranny created by our federal government in this Age of Trump. As opposed to “Bad Rahm” creating what a significant share of the Chicago populace views as his own level of tyranny.

THEN AGAIN, CHICAGO voters can be so parochial in the way they view the world that Emanuel’s views on immigration, or any federal issue, may not be enough, particularly if a legitimate challenger manages to come forth between now and the next municipal election cycle.

For what it’s worth, none of the would-be mayoral challengers rise to that level. And if we can be honest, Jesus Garcia never rose to that level in the 2015 election cycle.

So will 2019 be a mayoral battle of memorable proportions? Or just the centennial of the year that gave Chicago a race riot on the South Side AND a championship ball club with some members willing to throw away a World Series title for a few extra bucks cash.

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