A group of migrants in Chicago has chosen to live in tents in a park near the 12th district police station in Pilsen, rather than stay in city shelters. The asylum seekers claim that the shelters are overcrowded and pose a risk of spreading diseases such as the flu.
Denis Díaz, a Venezuelan migrant, expressed his concerns about the shelters, stating, “In the shelter it is worse, there is flu, tuberculosis, everything together. 1,200 people together, imagine!” Another migrant, Alexis Sánchez, also echoed these concerns, stating, “I prefer to be in my tent, in my heart. I prefer to be in my tent than in those shelters.”
Some of the newly arrived migrants also mentioned that they have struggled to adjust to the food and rules of the shelters. As a result, they have chosen to live in tents instead.
Univision Chicago News reached out to the president of the city council’s refugee committee, André Vásquez, for a statement. He responded in a text message that he does not know what the city’s plan is for the migrants living in tents. The city of Chicago and the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Rights have also been contacted for a response, but have not yet provided a solution to the crisis.
The situation highlights the challenges facing the city in accommodating the recent influx of migrants and the need for a comprehensive plan to address their living conditions and well-being. As the city and local authorities work to find a solution, the migrants in tents continue to face difficult living conditions as they navigate the asylum process in Chicago.