Leonardo Rojas-Banda for 23rd Ward Alderman

When immigration enforcement happens in our neighborhoods, residents deserve accurate information, visible leadership, and immediate connections to trusted resources. I will set a clear protocol with Southwest Side rapid-response organizations for how the ward office responds when ICE activity is reported: verified information to residents, families connected to legal and emergency help, concerns documented, and leadership physically present.

The ward office will maintain an up-to-date directory of vetted immigration legal service organizations, including free and low-cost consultations, and host know-your-rights trainings in Spanish and English. Residents should not have to travel across Chicago for basic information about their rights. The office will operate in accordance with Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance and be clear about what protections exist.

I will sign the ICE Out Pledge and refuse corporate PAC contributions from companies with ties to ICE.

Too many of our neighbors have been killed or seriously injured on Pulaski Road and Archer Avenue. Two of our most important corridors have become two of our most dangerous. I will push the city for better signage, improved signals, safer crossings, better lighting, and infrastructure that reflects how residents actually use these streets. We should not wait for another death before dangerous conditions get fixed.

Reckless driving and illegal street racing put our neighbors in danger. I will work with residents, city departments, and law enforcement to identify where it is happening and pair enforcement with street design that prevents it. Crossings and pedestrian signals near schools, parks, libraries, and business strips come first. Families should be confident their kids can cross the street safely.

Construction is sometimes necessary, but poor communication should not cost businesses their customers. My office will give proactive updates on timelines, closures, detours, and delays, and push contractors and departments for accountability when projects fall behind.

When neighbors call 911, they deserve a response that is fast and reliable. One way to get there is making sure officers are available for the calls that actually require a police officer: violent crime, immediate threats, emergencies.

Chicago's CARE program sends behavioral health professionals and emergency medical personnel to certain mental health crisis calls instead of automatically sending police. I will push for reliable access to CARE in our ward and for expanding the calls trained crisis professionals can handle. I will also advocate for greater use of trained civilian personnel for routine traffic-control and administrative duties that do not require an armed response.

Flooding in our streets and basements has become a serious concern during heavy rain. I will advocate for the sewer and drainage improvements that reduce flooding long term. At the same time, the ward office will prepare residents before severe weather and coordinate help when flooding happens: information and resources on sump pumps, backwater valves, basement protection, and existing city assistance programs.

When major storms come, residents should get timely information about available assistance, street conditions, city response, and where to report flooding. Our response should begin before the rain starts, not after families are already dealing with damage.

Residents should not have to call repeatedly just to learn whether their request was received. My office will set clear standards for responding to calls, emails, and walk-ins, with multiple ways to reach us and hours that work for people who cannot come by during a nine-to-five.

Every request (a pothole, a sanitation issue, a broken streetlight, a flooding concern, a zoning question) gets logged, tracked, and followed up on. You will know when it was received, when it was referred to a department, what action was taken, and what still needs to happen. No request should disappear into a system without an answer.

Good constituent service is not only about answering when someone calls. My office will provide regular updates on construction, street closures, city services, infrastructure projects, community meetings, and neighborhood events. When a project or disruption affects a block, residents and businesses should know what is happening, how long it will last, and who to contact.

Rising property taxes are squeezing longtime homeowners who are now worried about being priced out. Many residents do not know they can appeal their assessments, where to start, or how to find the time. I will make property tax assistance a core service of the ward office: accessible information on exemptions and appeals, regular appeal workshops, connections to trusted assistance, and deadline reminders. Homeowners should not have to navigate rising assessments alone.

Too many of our kids grow up in these neighborhoods, go to our schools, start their careers, and then find that buying a first home in the community that raised them is out of reach. I will advocate for policies and programs that expand pathways to affordable homeownership for first-time buyers and working families. Our neighborhoods should be places where families can stay for generations.

Our families deserve strong public schools close to home. I will work with CPS, school leadership, educators, families, and community partners to advocate for sustained investment in our neighborhood schools: well-maintained facilities, strong academic programs, extracurriculars, and the resources educators need in the classroom. I will make sure our ward's schools are represented when CPS decides on capital improvements and programming, and that families have a real voice in identifying what their schools need.

For too many working families, childcare is one of the biggest lines in the household budget. Parents should not have to choose between going to work and affording care. The ward office will help families understand and access existing childcare assistance, including state programs, with direct connections to resources, eligibility and enrollment information, and partnerships with providers. I will also push city and state partners for greater public investment in affordable childcare.

Each year our ward receives approximately $1.5 million in aldermanic funds for neighborhood infrastructure. That is public money, and residents should have a meaningful voice in where it goes. My office will hold community roundtables across the ward where residents identify infrastructure needs and help shape our annual priorities, and I will publish where funding goes, which projects were selected, and what has been completed.

These decisions should not be made behind closed doors. The people who live here every day know where sidewalks are deteriorating, which streets need attention, and where lighting is inadequate.

Real economic development starts with the small businesses already investing here. They employ our neighbors and serve our families. I will make the ward office a small business resource hub where entrepreneurs get help navigating city requirements, licenses, permits, and programs: the paperwork that too often becomes the barrier to getting started. I will also advocate for policies that reduce unnecessary burdens so local businesses can open, stay open, and grow.

Vacant and abandoned lots should not sit neglected year after year. Unmanaged properties hurt the block, create safety concerns, and frustrate neighbors who want to see their community improve. I will work with city departments, property owners, developers, and community partners to turn neglected land into something that benefits the neighborhood: housing, space for local businesses, green space, or community uses, depending on the site and what residents want.