Chicago faces a migrant crisis as it prepares to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention – POLITICO – POLITICO
Officials are also incorporating concerns over migrants into their security planning for the convention. And the governors office has begun a public pleading and shaming campaign with the Biden administration to do more to stem migrant flows to the border and open up resources for states and municipalities to deal with migrant buses being sent to them.
Speaking to reporters recently, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he is confident that local officials will be able to handle whatever spate of migrants arrive in the leadup to the convention as long as they get sufficient federal support.
We will manage it but we need to have the city and the state working together. We need the federal government at the table here, he said during a discussion put on by the University of Chicagos Institute of Politics.
Pritzker recently told CBS Face the Nation that someone needs to work in Texas with these border politicians to have them stop sending people only to blue cities and blue states.
That convention planners are having to strategize around a flow of migrants at all shows the degree to which migrants have become both a headache for Democrats in major cities and a national political issue.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsons office said that its trying to get a handle on the migrant situation now so it wont be a problem when the Democratic Partys luminaries gather at the United Center to formally nominate a presidential nominee.
The administration sent a delegation to Texas border towns last week to better understand the process of moving migrants across the country.
I dont know if its a concern or just an additional challenge that we know that were going to have to deal with, Johnsons chief of staff Richard Guidice told POLITICO. He is tasked with helping to manage the behind-the-scenes logistical planning for the convention.
Optically you certainly want to show Chicago in its best light, said Guidice. As part of the process, you identify all things that potentially could happen in any large scale event.
The challenge for Chicago is trying to find inhabitable space. It costs money to remove asbestos in empty structures and make them livable, for example. Operations to get asylum-seekers off the floors of the airport and police stations before Chicagos notoriously frigid winter is challenging, too. And neither the city nor the state budgets have the surpluses needed.
Its expensive, said Jason Lee, the mayors chief adviser. But there is potentially a pathway to being able to manage the influx.
The confluence of incoming migrants just as the convention is revving up could also be a major security issue as well, added Lee. Extra bodies around creates a headache for security officials who need clear pathways for high-profile individuals.
Officials with the convention host committee in Chicago and the Democratic National Convention Committee largely dismissed the idea that the bussing of migrants could cause some sort of disruption or embarrassment.
The convention team supports the efforts of city and state officials working around the clock to ensure that migrants being sent to Chicago are treated with the dignity and respect that all human beings deserve, the convention planners said in a joint statement.
The party has sought to position itself as welcoming of immigrants. And Chicago, run by Democratic officials, also wants to be a welcoming city inside a welcoming state.
But Republicans have argued that such posturing is largely bluster and that, presented with the migrant numbers they face on a daily basis, blue states would change their tune. Chicago has seen more than 18,000 asylum seekers since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started sending buses to Chicago in August 2022, according to Johnsons administration.
And frustration is mounting. Pritzker blamed Republican governors for sending people to our state like cargo in a dehumanizing attempt to score political points. It was part of a letter the Democratic governor wrote to President Joe Biden that called for more help in managing asylum seekers coming to Chicago.
His comment was a jab at Abbott, who has sent migrants to Chicago as well as New York City and Washington, D.C., over the past year.
Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, acknowledged that Texas has increased the number of migrants being sent to Illinois and other states. Texas has ramped up our busing mission to help our local partners in Eagle Pass and other border towns, and we are prepared to provide as many buses as necessary to provide relief to our overrun and overwhelmed border communities, he said in a statement to POLITICO.
Other cities including Denver and New York are sending asylum seekers to Illinois, too, often because the new arrivals request to go there.
After sending his letter, Pritzker said he got a quick response from White House officials. Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, which is managing the humanitarian effort, visited Chicago recently to see first-hand the situation that has migrants sleeping on the floors of police stations and Chicago OHare International Airport where Democratic delegates will be arriving when they come for the convention next year.
The DHS team is working with Chicago officials to assess the current migrant situation and identify ways that the city and the federal government can improve efficiencies and maximize resources, said a person who didnt have authority to be named.
Follow this link:
Chicago faces a migrant crisis as it prepares to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention - POLITICO - POLITICO
- Biden should know that the migrant crisis is also in Massachusetts - The Boston Globe - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Biden and Trump Make Dueling Visits to Border Amid Migrant Crisis - The Wall Street Journal - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Americans split on Biden and Trump handling of migrant crisis - NBC News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Spiked buoys and razor wire: Texas tackles the migrant crisis with brutal border defences - The Telegraph - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Exhibition shows how photographer Dorothea Lange was so good at 'Seeing People' - NPR - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Biden and Trump face-off on migrant crisis from 300 miles apart - WBUR News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Migrant on current US immigration crisis: 'How are we suppose to verify who's who?' - Fox News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- On the Arizona Border, Even a Slow Day Is Busy - The New York Times - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- NYC migrant crisis: What we know about the 2 illegal busted shelters - FOX 5 New York - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Biden and Trump face-off on migrant crisis from 300 miles apart - Texas Public Radio - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Biden and Trump to host dueling border visits on migrant crisis - FOX 47 News Lansing - Jackson - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Denver to close migrant shelters in effort to save $60 million amid budget deficit - Denver 7 Colorado News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Denver Congresswoman Introduces Legislation to Address Migrant Crisis and Reform Immigration - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Denver Congresswoman Introduces Legislation to Address Migrant Crisis and Reform Immigration - Bennington Banner - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- The Migration Crisis in Central America: How Domestic NGOs from Panama Are Central to the US Migration Strategy - LSE Home - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- 5 Things to know for March 1: Migrant crisis, Extreme weather, Government shutdown, Gaza, Covid-19 - erienewsnow.com - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Biden and Trump both head to border to talk migrant crisis - WRAL News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Chicago Officials Tackle Migrant Crisis, Rapid Resettlement from Shelters to Homes Sparks Tension and Concern - Hoodline - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Denver Congresswoman Introduces Legislation to Address Migrant Crisis and Reform Immigration - Carroll Daily Times Herald - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Mass. Governor Healey frustrated on Steward finances, migrant crisis - Worcester Telegram - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Surge of migrants causing strain on border resources - LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Denver Congresswoman Introduces Legislation to Address Migrant Crisis and Reform Immigration - Citizentribune - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Mayor Johnson dodges questions in interview about whether he will raise taxes to address migrant crisis - Fox News - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Hochul proposes $2.4 billion to deal with migrant crisis in new budget vision - amNY - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- New York's $2.4 Billion Not Enough to Solve Migrant Crisis, Governor Warns - Newsweek - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Hochul's $233 billion budget to maintain migrant aid, avoid tax hikes - POLITICO - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- The Migrant Crisis On The Border And The Hill : The NPR Politics Podcast - NPR - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- New York Pledges More Than $2 Billion To Assist City Migrant Crisis - Daily Caller - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Denver's looming cold snap to collide with ongoing migrant crisis - Axios - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Migrant crisis in NJ: Reaction to Phil Murphy letter to bus companies - NorthJersey.com - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Proviso Suburbs Are Regulating Unscheduled Buses As Migrant Crisis Enters Harsh Winter - Village Free Press | - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- OTR: Mayor Wu weighs in on migrant shelter crisis in Mass. - WCVB Boston - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Chicago migrants move into shelter former Little Village CVS at 27th and Pulaski; Gov. JB Pritzker responds to migrant crisis - WLS-TV - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- New York Gov. Hochul To Propose $2 Billion to Deal With Migrant Crisis - The Messenger - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Hochul reveals $233 billion budget proposal - Spectrum News NY1 - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Gov. Pritzker wants state lawmakers to backfill $160 million that went toward migrant crisis - NBC Chicago - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Many Older Immigrants in New York Are Struggling: 'I Have No Future' - The New York Times - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Biden's migrant crisis: Illegal border crossings have jumped 277% from Trump's term - with overwhelmed Border - Daily Mail - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Chaos, Fury, Mistakes: 600 Days Inside New York's Migrant Crisis - The New York Times - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Johnson on CNN repeats calls for better coordination between state, local governments on migrant crisis - Chicago Sun-Times - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Migrant crisis: Elburn to vote on whether to ban unscheduled buses carrying migrants - WLS-TV - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Want to Solve the Border Crisis? Legalize Immigration. - The Daily Beast - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Migrant crisis: Work permit waits leave some in limbo - The Boston Globe - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Letter: Cutting aid and neglecting peace will not end the migrant crisis - Financial Times - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Migrant Crisis: Frankfort Prepared After Buses Arrive Nearby - Patch - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Gristedes CEO on NYC Mayor Adams handling of migrant crisis: The worst situation Ive seen in 70 years - Fox Business - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- After a year of reporting on Chicago's migrant crisis, here are the stories we don't get to share - Chicago Sun-Times - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Bus drops off asylum-seekers in Fox River Grove; migrants were told they had arrived in Chicago - NBC Chicago - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- NYC Mayor Adams Says He Can't Get Meeting With Biden Amid Migrant Crisis: 'It Baffles Me' - The Messenger - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Mayor Adams on NYC migrant crisis: I dont see an end to this flow - SILive.com - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Red states like Texas and Florida see population boom - while migrant crisis offsets loss in 'sanctuary city' - Daily Mail - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Chicago migrant crisis: Black churches, Salem and Progressive Baptist, team up to support migrants at Daley College - WLS-TV - December 27th, 2023 [December 27th, 2023]
- Migrant crisis increasing strain on border officials, immigration courts with massive numbers - Fox News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Working Class Perspectives on the 'Migrant Crisis' - The Texas Observer - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Public health alerts issued about communicable disease spread tied to migrant crisis - The Center Square - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Chicago migrant crisis: Texas Governor Greg Abbot vows more flights of migrants as aldermen call for federal help - WLS-TV - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- City of El Paso to reopen emergency shelter for migrant crisis during the holidays - KVIA - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Database shows where Chicago is spending on migrant crisis - Axios - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Migrant crisis: Aurora City Council passes emergency ordinance, rules for bus drop-offs as more migrants arrive in Chicago area - WLS-TV - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Denver's migrant shelter capacity, already at its highest ever, sees 300 more migrants arrive in a single day - Denver 7 Colorado News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- The EU isn't serious about tackling the migrant crisis - The Spectator - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- NYC Mayor Adams migrant crisis will lead to 'extremely painful' budget cuts; doesnt expect feds to help - Fox News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- If the feds and state don't take responsibility for the migrant crisis, NYC should sue - New York Post - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- November saw nearly quarter of a million migrant encounters amid new border surge - Yahoo News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Arizona National Guard, CBP responding separately to migrant crisis - KGUN 9 Tucson News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Faith leaders ask NYC to contract faith-based organizations to help with migrant crisis - News 12 Bronx - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Mayor Adams urges New Yorkers to go to Washington and complain about migrant crisis, budget - New York Daily News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Mayor Adams says he could help fix migrant crisis if he were in White House - New York Post - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Addresses Trump's Poisoning The Blood Remark, The Migrant Crisis | The 411 - The Root - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Letters: The city is rising to meet the moment for migrants and Palestinians. What about state, federal leaders? - Chicago Tribune - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- 'Trump, come in here and clean this mess up!' Seething Chicago resident explodes on migrant crisis and demands - Daily Mail - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Adams To NYers: Go To Washington To Protest Migrant Crisis - Patch - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Mass. migrant crisis: Overnight shelter in Cambridge to open - The Boston Globe - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Eric Adams calls on New Yorkers to flood DC over migrant crisis cost: 'We need to mobilize' - New York Post - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Chicago buckles under weight of migrant crisis as boy, 5, dies and four more children, aged between one and 14 - Daily Mail - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Eric Adams says Biden has 'abandoned' the migrant crisis across the nation - Washington Examiner - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Faith leaders ask NYC to contract faith-based organizations to help with migrant crisis - Cleburne Times-Review - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Legislators in Albany need to tackle the migrant crisis - liherald.com - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Hochul extends state of emergency over migrant situtation - Spectrum News - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Rockland County says landlords are packing migrant families into homes for profits - NBC New York - October 21st, 2023 [October 21st, 2023]