Chicago postpones plans to move West Ridge migrants to Daley College

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Uncertainty reigned for much of Sunday at an emergency migrant shelter in West Ridge.

Over 40 migrant families have been on-edge since last week. They were greeted with the welcome news that a planned move to Daley College would not happen on Sunday afternoon.

"We want to stay here," migrant Marco Zambrano said, in Spanish.

He expressed concern about the impact yet another move would have on his 6-year-old daughter, who, after a rocky start, has settled in to life at her new school.

Parents of students at that school have been pleading for the city to keep the migrant families there.

"The kids are making connections," said Jill Hallatt, the parent of Rogers Elementary students. "The kids are going on field trips to the libraries, the parks. They're learning about the resources. The kids are playing with each other."

Volunteer Noel Cintry has been helping Zambrano's family and others there since they arrived last month.

"They thought they were going to be moved out, so I took them to the Goodwill, got them suitcases. They I took them to the Dollar Store because they don't have a stove or nothing like that, so they bought a lot of microwave food," Cintry said.

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Permanently closed in January of 2021, the now-former YMCA facility has been housing migrant families since last fall. Those there now say they feel welcome and cared for by the community.

"I'm here to help pick folks up with my car and bring them over to our United Working Families 50th office because we agreed, when they asked, to offer a legal consultation, so they can better understand the legal context their confronting given their particular legal circumstances," said Corina Teofilo Mattson with 50th Ward United Working Families.

With so much support, it was no surprise that when Mayor Brandon Johnson office announced last week they would be moving those migrants to Daley College in order to open up spaces for some 400 single men still sleeping on Chicago police station floors, there was an immediate uproar, leading to a protest Friday.

The city today said the second delay was done "to provide more time for planning by the receiving community as well as possible alternatives to Daley College."

So, when will the move happen?

Alderwoman Jeylu Gutierrez, who represents the 14th Ward, told ABC7 she was ready to welcome arriving migrants at Daley College on Sunday. The mayor's office only told her of the postponement earlier on Sunday afternoon.