Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Opposes Proposed Parking Meter Lease Transfer

June 25, 2026

The following is a statement from the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus on the proposed parking meter lease transfer:

“The Chicago City Council Latino Caucus opposes the proposed transfer of Chicago's parking meter lease to Stonepeak Partners and calls on the full City Council to reject it.

“Stonepeak is the owner of Omni Air International, the charter airline that serves as the single largest contractor in the Trump administration's deportation machine. It is the only airline willing to conduct what ICE itself classifies as ‘special high-risk’ deportation flights, and it has been documented by human rights organizations for subjecting deportees to prolonged shackling, physical abuse, and removal to countries where they face torture and imprisonment. Omni's own employees have quit in protest over what they witnessed.

“Asking Stonepeak for a data privacy guarantee does not resolve this. The problem is not what Stonepeak might do with parking meter data. The problem is that the City of Chicago would be entering a long-term financial partnership with a company that is actively profiting from the federal government's campaign against our communities.

“Chicago is a sanctuary city. That is a commitment that has required real political will to maintain under intense federal pressure. Approving this lease transfer would send the opposite message, that the city is willing to do business with entities whose revenue depends on the removal of the very people Chicago has pledged to protect.

“The Latino Caucus represents communities living under the daily threat of deportation. We will not authorize a deal that enriches a company profiting from that threat. We call on Mayor Johnson and our colleagues on the full City Council to reject the Stonepeak proposal and to establish a clear standard: the City of Chicago will not enter into contracts with companies that hold active ICE deportation contracts or that own subsidiaries which do.”

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