Teresa Haley voiced strong opposition to illegal aliens who have flooded Chicago over the past year, comparing them to savages and arguing they have taken resources that could have gone to black residents. “But black people have been on the streets forever and ever, and nobody cares, because they say that we’re drug addicts; we’ve got mental health issues,” she said during a conference call that was recorded by another NAACP member on the call. “But these immigrants who come over here, they’ve been raping people, they’ve been breaking into homes, they’re like savages as well. They don’t speak the language and they look at us like we’re crazy.” When confronted about the call by the Chicago Tribune, Haley denied making the incendiary remarks and claimed someone must have used artificial intelligence to duplicate her voice. “With AI, anything is possible,” she said. Patrick Watson, former president of the DuPage County Branch NAACP, recorded the call and resigned in protest shortly after. “I’m seeing a lot of division, and they’re only fanning the flames,” Watson said. “This is not the sentiment of the black community as a whole, it’s a vocal minority. Public sentiment is very much in favor of helping migrants in DuPage. You can be for raising up your people without denigrating other people.” Watson said he was also angered over other recent comments made by Haley, who made remarks mocking individuals who insist others use specific pronouns to refer to them, jokingly saying, “they, them, it,” which Watson found offensive. Carla Jackson-Campbell, secretary of the state NAACP, has questions over the call’s authenticity. “We are still evaluating all of the information and awaiting more details,” she said. “Our mission is and always will be to achieve equity and political rights and social inclusion by advancing the needs of black people. President Haley does embrace the mission of our beloved NAACP.”The president of the Illinois chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been asked to resign following statement she made during a conference call referencing migrants.
