South Cook News

Ashley Ramos, a candidate for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, has added her voice to the growing public dissatisfaction over Illinois’ preference of taking care of illegal immigrants over citizens. She criticized the housing prioritization of resources as undertaken by the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.

“We should not have American Citizens facing homelessness but housing illegals,” Ramos said on Facebook.

Community activist Pat Gibbons has emerged as a vocal advocate for repealing the sanctuary city ordinance, emphasizing the necessity of prioritizing the city’s constituents over extending assistance to migrants. Gibbons, addressing a press conference, decried the growing wealth gap, increasing poverty, and the disappearance of blue-collar job opportunities. Gibbons and other community members have underscored the alarming rate of homelessness in Chicago, particularly among children, while criticizing the lack of support for the city’s existing homeless residents.

“We have homeless that are not taken care of, sleeping under viaducts, sleeping on CTA busses, trains,” Gibbons said, according to Chicago City Wire.

“It’s horrible. What’s going on? We have a 23% homeless rate among children in the city of Chicago. This is before over 20,000 migrants came into the city of Chicago. The fact is, our politicians, local politicians have no clue what they’re doing. They have no clue what they’re doing. They have to take care of their own constituents, their own people before you take care of anybody from the outside.” 

On her campaign website, Ramos’ message to the constituents reflects a commitment to collaborative problem-solving and a united citizenry.

“We solve problems together as united citizens on the issues that mean the most to everyone in the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois,” she said.

Highlighting key concerns such as neighborhood safety, job scarcity, high taxes, and threats to individual liberty, Ramos is positioning herself as a candidate devoted to empowering citizens and reclaiming control over their futures.

“It becomes crucial in 2024 for the citizens to regain control of their destiny and stand up to those impairing their right to create a higher quality of life,” she said.

The emphasis on a departure from traditional political approaches aligns with Ramos’s vision for a fresh, community-driven representation in the 2nd Congressional District.

“That’s why I’m running FOR THE PEOPLE OF IL2, (and running away from the SAME OLD POLITICS that created these problems!)” Ramos said.

Born in Chicago Heights and raised in Momence, Ramos is currently a resident of Bradley. She is an e-commerce specialist, mother, licensed notary and certified in CPR. On her campaign website, she shared her experiences traveling across the state and country: "I traveled all over the state and country, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Philadelphia, DC, Nashville, and was at almost every major riot bringing aid and assistance to the police and first responders."

The 2nd Congressional District encompasses the south suburbs of Chicago, eastern Will County, most of Kankakee County and Chicago’s far southeast side. It is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).