Chicago plans to transfer migrants and reopen public buildings where they were staying

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Chicago plans to close five migrant shelters in the coming weeks and relocate nearly 800 people, including families, so it can reopen park district buildings to host popular summer camps, track meets and other community events in time for the summer.

The change is part of the city’s constant initiatives to meet the needs of those arriving from the border with Mexico.

Immigrant advocates have frequently criticized the mayor, Democrat Brandon Johnson, and alleged that the services available are inadequate. Others believe Chicago is unfairly prioritizing newcomers over longtime residents, including homeless people with similar needs.

WHY CLOSE SHELTERS NOW?

Johnson announced his plan to close park district shelters this week, saying they are “no longer needed.”

“I am proud of the efforts of my government, our partners, and the many Chicagoans who stepped up to welcome newcomers by providing shelter in our Park District cottages, at a time when there was a clear need,” the councilor said in a statement on Monday.

“We are grateful to the councilors and communities who welcomed the new neighbors with open arms, and we are pleased to have those park facilities returned to their purpose again in time for summer programming,” he said.

Chicago reported the arrival of more than 37,000 migrants to the city since 2022, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott began sending busloads of people to so-called sanctuary cities. Many of those who end up in Chicago come from Venezuela, where a social, political and economic crisis plunged millions of people into poverty, and where three-quarters of the population lives on less than $1.9 a day.

At first, the city used police stations and airports as makeshift shelters while authorities searched for a temporary solution. Some residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the park district’s cottages routinely protested the conversion of the buildings into shelters.

On Friday, a municipal entity showed that more than 10,000 people remain in city-run shelters, up from a record of nearly 15,000 reached in January.

The city has not clarified when all of the park’s buildings will be emptied, only that the process will take several weeks. Volunteers working with the migrants said residents of at least two of those buildings were told they would be moved to other locations on Saturday.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER HOSTELS?

Nearly 20 more temporary shelters are operational in the city, including churches, hotels, a library and former warehouses. The largest house more than 1,000 people while others exceed a hundred, according to the update offered by the city this month.

The city is trying to move people to other shelters near the current location, especially families with children enrolled in area schools, according to Johnson’s statement.

In mid-March, Chicago began limiting shelter stays to 60 days. But numerous exceptions, including those granted to families with school-age children, have meant that, so far, there have been few evictions.

According to the city, only 24 people have left shelters to date because of that limit.

Other cities in the country, such as New York and Denver, implemented similar measures to address the limited availability of resources for migrants arriving by bus or plane. Mayors have also asked for more federal aid.

In Chicago, the evicted can return to the “landing zone” and request housing again. According to volunteers, sometimes people leave a shelter and are returned to the same place.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MIGRANTS?

Volunteers working with the newcomers say they understand the neighborhoods’ desire to recover the facilities, especially to organize camps and other popular activities during the summer months.

But they worry that this forced departure will threaten migrants’ efforts to find employment and send their children to school.

“Most people are actively and constantly trying to figure out how to get out of the shelters,” said volunteer Lydia Wong. “I don’t know if this helps speed it up at all. The city says they want to keep people relatively close.” , but it is extremely disruptive, they need to find new routes, new ways to get to school or work.

Several people living in park shelters told The Associated Press this week that they received little information about the city government’s plans, including the date of their possible move. They asked not to be identified and several said they did not want to suffer retaliation from employees of the private agency that manages the centers.

As of Wednesday, the city said more than 15,000 people had found new housing since officials began collecting data in 2022.

Many have applied for rental assistance offered by the state. More than 5,600 families have used the program to find where to live, the Illinois Department of Human Services said.

With some exceptions, such as diplomats and people with tourist visas, migrants in the United States must notify authorities of their transfers.

Asylum seekers who are in the immigration court system have five days to change their address and ensure they receive notices from the court. Losing a letter may not void a case outright, but failure to appear for a summons can lead to deportation.

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Associated Press writer Cedar Attanasio in New York contributed to this report.