Openly gay Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa ( 35th Ward ) has denounced a May 23 decision to expel him made by the City Council's Latino Caucus.
The expulsion comes the same day as a City Council meeting brought to an abrupt halt by Mayor Rahm Emanuel after heated arguments about a $95 million police academy that Ramirez-Rosa opposes.
Caucus leader Ald. Gil Villegas, 36th Ward, told Chicago Tribune that the expulsion was not related to the police academy issueRamirez-Rosa supposedly did not engage "meaningfully" with the Caucus, they saidand that Ramirez-Rosa could appeal the decision next month.
In a May 23 statement, Ramirez-Rosa said, "I have worked diligently to craft a progressive agenda for the Latino Caucus since my election to the Chicago City Council in 2015. I have scheduled policy briefings for the Caucus with legal experts and community leadersincluding at the Caucus' last meeting. I have repeatedly sought the support of the Caucus for measures that will expand protections for undocumented immigrants, and address displacement and gentrification in our communities.
"It is unfortunate that a majority of my Latino Caucus colleagues would vote to expel me, their only gay millennial member, on the same day I take a bold stand on police violence that disproportionately impacts our Black and Latino neighborhoods. There was no due process, not all Caucus members were present, and no prior notice that this item would be taken up today was provided.
"...Whether or not I am a member of the Caucus, I will continue to advocate for our Latino community's progressive values; I will continue to caucus with undocumented Latinos and Latino Chicagoans fighting and organizing for the best interests of our community."
Chicago Tribune's article is at www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-city-council-police-academy-delay-20180523-story.html .