Chicago’s homeless shelter system is struggling to meet the needs of incoming migrants as Texas officials expand their migrant busing policy.
The lack of vacancy at shelters is pushing some migrants to sleep in police stations, according to a report by Reuters.
Many of the people bused north are asylum seekers who were processed by U.S. border officials and released to the interior of the country to await adjudication of their asylum claims.
Since August, Texas has been busing migrants to Chicago, often without warning and generally without coordinating with city authorities.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) first started busing migrants north in April 2022, first to Washington and later adding New York, Philadelphia and Chicago to the list.
“Governor Abbott is playing a cruel political game with the lives of migrants. City leaders and community members in Chicago are doing crucial work to ensure we live up to our creed as a city of immigrants,” said Rep. Jesús García (D-Ill.).
“Still, it’s clear we need more resources, and I’m working with our federal delegation and local partners to urgently bring funds to our city to continue welcoming migrants while supporting our communities.”
Abbott announced Thursday the first busload of migrants to arrive in Denver.
“Texas’ overwhelmed and overrun border communities should not have to shoulder the flood of illegal immigration due to President Biden’s reckless open border policies, like his mass catch and release without court dates or any way to track them,” Abbott said in a statement.
“Until the President and his Administration step up and fulfill their constitutional duty to secure the border, the State of Texas will continue busing migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities like Denver to provide much-needed relief to our small border towns.”
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) declared a state of emergency earlier this month, saying, “The City has learned that the flood of migrants into Chicago will not only continue unabated but will increase, with a resumption of bus arrivals starting on May 9.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), who was sworn in Monday, took a different tone in his inaugural address.
“We don’t want our story to be told that we were unable to house the unhoused or provide a safe harbor for those who are seeking refuge here, because there’s enough room for everyone in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said.
“Whether you are seeking asylum or you are looking for a fully funded neighborhood, we don’t want our story to say that we did not invest in all of the people and all of the communities that make our city great.”
Johnson is joining a group of big-city Democratic mayors who are taking different tacks in addressing the influx of migrants, both through their own means and through Abbott’s busing.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) earlier this month was dropped as a surrogate for President Biden’s reelection campaign after saying the president had “failed” the city on immigration.
Days later, a majority of New York’s congressional delegation called on Biden to change asylum rules to allow people with pending applications to work.
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Asylum applicants are barred from working legally in the United States for 180 days after they initially stake their claim, making them dependent on aid or forcing them to work under the table.
Advocates say that rule has made it more difficult for cities to absorb asylum seekers, even amid labor shortages.
Thehill
