Brighton Park residents protest, file lawsuit after Chicago signs lease for migrant tent camp
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago has taken a big step forward in a controversial plan to build a migrant tent camp in Brighton Park.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's office confirmed to ABC7 Chicago that the city has signed a contract with the owners of a property near 38th Street and California Avenue.
This lot is located in the 12th Ward. The Sun Times reports the lease is for more than $91,000 a month.
Alderwoman Julia Ramirez said in a statement that, "The city did not inform me that a lease had been signed. I continue to be frustrated and disappointed in the administration's lack of transparency with my community."
That confirmation came hours after Mayor Johnson touched down at O'Hare after spending the day in Washington D.C. fighting for federal help on the migrant crisis.
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"The resources that I'm requesting for the city of Chicago are not limited to the migrant crisis," he said. "That's just one component of it. Right now, there's a number that's been forward about a little bit over a billion dollars. I've said repeatedly that the West Side and the South Sides of Chicago need significant investment."
With a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, money to fund migrants in cities run by Democrats will likely be a tough fight.
All of this comes as more migrants continue to arrive in the city, and the temperature starts dropping. Mayor Johnson told Washington that the moment to act is now.
The community pushback over the proposed migrant shelter continues to grow. A lawsuit has now been filed to try and block the base camp.
"I don't think that's right what they're doing because they didn't give us the opportunity to the chance to speak out our voice," plaintiff Ricardo Talacios said. "You got no say-so."
It comes after a judge dismissed a similar request to stop a shelter in West Town.
Members of the community demonstrated against the base camp Friday afternoon after filing a lawsuit against the Mayor and the City, requesting a preliminary injunction to block the plans from going forward.
"I'm a taxpayer," plaintiff Judy Mai said. "I have a right to know what's going on in my community, but they did tell us nothing."
The lawsuit claims the site is contaminated, and unsafe for migrants or anyone else.
"Now what this lawsuit is asking is that we don't have this location as a shelter that we do environmental testing, we do environmental remediation and before we use this location for anything," attorney Frank Avila said. "it should be safe for use."
Mayor Johnson brushed off concerns about legal action potentially delaying migrant shelters or base camps from opening up.
"Look, my concern is the fact that we have pregnant women who are sleeping outside. That we have children laying on floors," Johnson said.
Attorneys for the Brighton Park residents hope to be in court next week to ask a judge to grant their preliminary injunction. They believe their case presents compelling issues that should put the base camp on hold.
