The following article was published by Kathy Powers on the People’s Tribune on November 29, 2023.Â
CHICAGO, IL — Mayor Harold Washington issued an executive order that declared Chicago a sanctuary city in 1985. This Sanctuary City Ordinance refers to law enforcement and government officials not cooperating with ICE. The City will not ask about one’s immigration status, disclose that information to authorities, or deny one city services based upon one’s immigration status.
It does not refer to the resettlement of over 21,000 migrants who have arrived from Texas and Florida since last August.
MISPLACED ANGER
Some folks are angry at the migrants for being here and, in their view, draining our resources. It is understandable why people are frustrated, however, the migrants are not the austerity imposers. Our elected officials do not fund enough resources for the public. They have become handmaidens for the profit-making corporations leaving us with food deserts, underfunded public schools, shuttered mental health clinics, and over 68,000 Chicagoans without housing. This is not the fault of the migrants. There should be enough for everybody.
False narratives fill communities that the migrants are dangerous. In fact, the migrants are wafer thin and can barely stand up from the ordeals they’ve been through to survive the harsh journey here.
On September 20, 2023, certain migrants in the U.S. were granted temporary protected status for 18 months, and about 472,000 individuals became eligible to get work permits. That will help. Most came here with the idea of working and living the American Dream. They do not want to live on charity. They have an unlivable homeland.
NO PLANNING
There has been no organized plan for the migrants’ resettlement. Their placement has been decided behind closed doors. There are nearly 2,800 migrants awaiting shelter placement in Chicago police stations and tents. They were placed like chess pawns without regard to their needs or the community’s capacity to support them.
The City of Chicago can do a much better job in providing services to all. As a welcoming sanctuary city, it’s really up to the community. The migrants are now a part of our community. They are just people who have skills, talents, and diverse experience. They want to work. They want to belong. They want a place to call home.
NEXT STEPS
We need to adapt and start taking care of our new neighbors, and everyone in Chicago who needs help. The cruel austerity imposed upon us has led us to think mostly of taking care of number one. It would be a blessing to take care of one another. It’s for all of us; what’s good for you is good for me. The migrants are not taking away from us. In fact, they offer us an opportunity to regain the spirit of helping one another.
Kathy Powers is a lifetime Chicagoan. At 50, Kathy realized her voice was the
voice of the people. She became a revolutionary activist whose lifelong fight raises
unheard voices. She is the Health Care Desk on the People’s Tribune Editorial
Board.
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