Prairie State Wire

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that polling indicates crime and public safety are significant concerns across various demographics, positioning law-and-order as a potentially successful political strategy. This statement was made on X.

"Safety issues are SO important, and owned by our side," said Cortes. "From border security to street law-and-order — safety is a winning agenda that cut across demographics and former Party lines."

According to a recent research brief by NORC at the University of Chicago, crime and violence remain the primary concern for Chicago residents across racial and political lines. While safety is the top issue for white, Black, and Hispanic residents, secondary priorities differ. Black Chicagoans often cite jobs and wages as important, whereas white and Hispanic residents focus more on immigration. NORC suggests that public safety serves as a unifying concern despite demographic differences.

The Council on Criminal Justice reported improvements in violent crime rates in Chicago between July 2024 and June 2025 compared to July 2018–June 2019. Homicides fell by 13%, aggravated assaults dropped by 16%, gun assaults decreased by 27%, and carjackings plunged by 51%. Other categories such as larceny, motor vehicle theft, and domestic violence also showed significant declines.

A poll conducted in August 2025 by M3 for the Law and Order Political Action Committee (PAC) found that a majority of Chicago residents oppose federal intervention to address crime. Specifically, 65% oppose sending the National Guard while 70% are against using the U.S. Army. However, Hispanic respondents showed higher support for such measures, with 47% in favor of National Guard intervention and 40% supporting Army deployment. Fox 32 Chicago reported these findings as indicative of demographic divides in attitudes toward federal intervention.

Cortes is not only the founder but also serves as President of the League of American Workers and is a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He has previously been a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and has worked as a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes frequently releases documentaries and columns on his website cortesinvestigates.com.

The League of American Workers was established in 2022 by Cortes as a conservative advocacy group promoting "pro-worker patriotic populism." The group's mission is to defend America's working class through original research, media engagement, and policy advocacy on issues like wages, immigration, and corporate influence.