Some city council members raise concerns over migrant tent plans, push for federal help with crisis

CHICAGO (WLS) -- How to handle the migrant crisis is up for debate, but the one thing alderpeople agree on is that living at police stations is not the answer.

"We need to get those human beings out of those inhumane conditions right now, and clearly, a tent with some type of secure facility is a slight improvement over what they are currently living in," said Alderman Brian Hopkins, who represents the 2nd Ward.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has asked all 50 city council members to identify a 2-acre space in their wards that can accommodate a large tent that would be equipped with heat and cooling units, cots, a mess hall and water hookups - enough to house more than 200 migrants.

SEE ALSO | Mayor Brandon Johnson briefs Chicago City Council members on plan to house migrants in tent cities

"I think what should be made clear is because of the scale we are looking at, everyone needs to share in the responsibility," said Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee Chairman Alderman Andre Vasquez.

But, not every alderperson wants or is able to share the responsibility.

"I've looked in my ward. I just don't have any available space. I have one of the most dense wards in the city," Hopkins said.

Hopkins' ward includes parts of downtown, the Gold Coast, Old Town and Lincoln Park. There are several vacant lots on the South Side, but 17th Ward Alderman David Moore said they should be developed for residents, not new arrivals.

"I'm a believer in help your people first, help yourselves first, help your community first. Then, reach out and help others," Moore said.

Vasquez said the encampments can eventually be used for Chicago's existing unhoused population.

"If you can make that case, then you can say this isn't just for one population. It's something that helps the whole city out," Vasquez said.

READ MORE | Migrant families say they were forced to leave South Side shelter because they found jobs

In the meantime, city council members are doubling down on their call for more help from the federal government.

Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Chicago on Wednesday for a campaign event, and city council members have urged her to visit the crowded police stations.