Vic Mensa has authored a new opinion piece in The New York Times that examines federal policies and their impact on Chicago communities under the Trump administration.
On Sunday, the rapper shared his article and called attention to what he described as the militarization of immigration enforcement in the city.
"Don't fall for it. texas gov. greg abbott literally bussed the venezuelan immigrants to the city to freeze in the chicago winter," Mensa captioned the post. "Now they've sent their troops in to come abduct them and attack the city's citizens in the process it's civil war lite."
Mensa's article critiqued the deployment of federal agents and military-style forces in Chicago neighborhoods. He argued that operations targeting immigrants have harmful effects on both migrant populations and local residents.
He also pointed to the relocation of Venezuelan migrants to Chicago as intensifying the humanitarian impact. Supporters praised Mensa for raising awareness about the effects of federal policies on local communities.
"Excellent," sports journalist Jemele Hill commented. Another user chimed in, "This how I wanna see rappers using their platforms to advocate and educate."
Someone else stated, "Love that you're accurately calling out a deliberate lack of resource availability for those in need due to those in power rather than blaming those in need for being in that position."
Federal authorities have since defended the coordination of immigration enforcement but have not responded to every specific allegation raised in Mensa's article.
Mensa has previously used his platform to speak on issues such as police reform, gun violence, and urban policy. His Instagram page is filled with various clips of himself calling out injustices stateside and internationally.