Migrants Chicago: As more buses arrive, aldermen call on leaders for help; Greektown meeting heated
'I would like to see Gov. Pritzker, Sen. Durbin, President Biden to take this issue as seriously as we are taking it here'
CHICAGO (WLS) -- More than 2,000 migrants are waiting to be placed in shelters in Chicago, as four more buses arrived Wednesday. The city is running out of room to house those on the vehicles.
Right now, over 6,800 migrants are in city shelters.
Migrants were supposed to move into a Greektown hostel Friday, but the move-in date was pushed one week to Friday, Sept. 15 Wednesday night, said Ald. Bill Conway, who added that he has assurances of 24/7 security at the shelter.
At a Wednesday night meeting, many residents asked how many migrants will be living in the Parthenon Guest House, but the city could not give a definitive answer. This will be the second time it is used as a temporary shelter; the first was in February.
"I live next door to what I'm sure will be a mess," one resident said. "Where are all these people going to be hanging out when the weather is good?"
At a cost of more than $100 million and counting, the city has established 18 working shelters across the city, and enrolled migrant children in Chicago Public Schools in just a few months, but residents and now aldermen are asking, where does it end?
Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, with the 25th Ward, said Mayor Brandon Johnson does have a plan on the table to create shelters for the migrants, but the city needs funding and support from leaders from the state and the federal government.
"The most troubling part is that we have one of the few mayors in the country that is developing a plan that treats people with respect and dignity, but yet we haven't seen the urgency from federal authorities and state authorities," Sigcho-Lopez said.
Many migrants still waiting for placement are seeking shelter in police stations, which are at-capacity, and at O'Hare and Midway airports. Less than three weeks ago, there were over 900.
Those staying at police stations are sometimes forced to spend the day outside, so the stations can be cleaned and used for regular business.
"We are all day on the street, exposed to the sun, heat, the rain, the crime because sometimes sketchy people come by and our stuff is out here," asylum seeker Astri Manrique said.
Manrique has been living at the 18th Police District for two months with her two children. She hopes to be moved before winter.
SEE MORE: Some CPS schools, local leaders concerned about supporting influx of migrant students
"We are adding more psychological stress to our officers; nobody seems care about the psyche of the police officer anymore. We have to have locations better than police stations," said Ald. Anthony Napolitano, with the 41st District.
Chicago has received over 13,000 migrants since they began being bused to the city from Texas.
"I would like to see Gov. Pritzker, Sen. Durbin, President Biden to take this issue as seriously as we are taking it here in Chicago. We do have a plan, yet we cannot fund it," Sigcho-Lopez said. "Where are our elected officials on both parties?"
The alderman said, without state and federal support, the situation will become more desperate.
"I don't think the state is doing enough; I don't think the federal government is doing enough," said Ald. Andre Vasquez, Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee chairman.
Vasquez is asking for President Joe Biden to expedite work permits and calling on other Illinois cities and towns to share the capacity with Chicago.
Napolitano, a former Chicago police officer, questions why the city declared itself a sanctuary city without preparing for it.
"Instead of championing a cause, a noble cause, by saying we are sanctuary because we were 1,450 miles away, you should've prepared for it. In 1985, when you declared this and they've done nothing because they didn't think this day was ever going to come," he said.
As the crisis gets worse by the day, aldermen hope the city has a plan for migrants living at the police stations when the weather gets colder.
On the Near West Side, the 12th District Police Station is overflowing with migrants, so much so that a neighboring park has turned into a mini tent city to accommodate them all.
"While I'm not on the ground working every day, I would say, we're definitely at a breaking point, we've been at the breaking point, since the day we had children sleeping on the sidewalks at police stations," said Sol Flores, deputy governor for health and human services.
Flores said the state has invested $250 million this past year to deal with the crisis.
Now the state's role is mainly focused on helping migrants get resettled from shelters to more permanent housing.
But as the crisis mounts, the city is looking for more help.
"Alderpersons can't see us in email. They can't see us on the meetings. They can't see what we're doing. They can't see the procurement, the contracting. We are here behind the scenes working very diligently," Flores said.
Chicago and state officials are working in tandem to turn a shuttered CVS pharmacy in Little Village into a shelter.
While there is talk about getting the suburbs to share in the care of migrants coming to Chicago, that option presents a number of logistical challenges.
"We know that the bulk of social services and public transportation lies right here in the city, so it is more convenient, both for providers as well as for the migrants to be here," Flores said.
The state is seeking partner communities around the state, and stands ready to invest another $42 million to help mitigate the impact on Chicago.
