Chicago, IL — On Wednesday May 31, 2023, Chicago’s city council voted (34-13) to allocate $51 million for newly arrived migrants. The money will be used for staffing, food, and resources and came from the 2021 budget surplus that was set aside for emergencies. While this is a big step towards caring for the new migrant community, the money is expected to only last through the end of June. Ever since Texas governor Abbott sent migrants by the busload, the city has struggled to organize resources for newcomers to the city. Currently, migrants are either staying at shelters or sleeping on the floors of police stations.
There is a lot of support for this budget allocation as well as a lot of resistance from some members of the Black community in the southside. During the city council meeting there were several members of the public booing the allocation of the funds and several aldermen opposing the motion to give migrants funding. Alderman David Moore of the 17th ward stated that the money should be going to his residents in Chicago Lawn. He argues that the resources are long overdue for Black residents on the southside. Similarly, many southside residents have stated that there has not been enough communication with them about migrants coming into their neighborhoods and they wonder why that money has not been used for resources in their neighborhood. In early May, a South Shore group filed a lawsuit against the city for placing migrants in a shuttered old school building. Former mayoral candidate, Jamal Green has also made it very clear that he is against the city’s decision to allocate so much money to migrants while not prioritizing Chicago residents first. Many of those who are opposing the funding, state that they are not necessarily against allocating funding for migrants but rather that they feel that the city is ignoring poverty, crime, and homelessness issues in Black communities.
While there were several aldermen against the motion to approve the funding, there were also several others who were in favor of it. Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor of the 20th ward, who represents residents in majority Black neighborhoods on the southside, was one of the representatives who voted for the funding. In her ward, migrants are currently staying in an old school building so she has seen firsthand the immediate need for more resources. At the city council meeting, some members of the public called her a traitor in which she responded with
“If my yes vote bothers you, then so be it … because hurt people don’t hurt people…”
Mayor Brandon Johnson is taking over former mayor Lightfoot’s actions regarding the migrants which has clearly not been an easy feat. When Texas governor Abbott bussed migrants all over the country, many cities scrambled to find housing and resources for the migrants coming in. One of the criticisms Lightfoot’s administration faced in regards to migrants seeking shelter, is that many of them were placed in neighborhoods where residents were too culturally different than migrants. Hasty actions have not only further traumatized migrants who have traveled long and dangerous journeys but it has accumulated into a heated debate in the city where residents are fighting each other over resources.
Mayor Johnson will face a lot of challenges when it comes to welcoming migrants into the city but so far he has lived up to his promises of fighting for all residents of Chicago, despite what many people believe. On his first day, Johnson issued several executive orders which included appointing a Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights who will assist with immediate needs and long-standing policies to ensure Chicago remains a welcoming city.
The migrant crisis has not just affected Chicago but people all over the country. Cities are scrambling to help migrants coming while other conservative states are passing legislation to further push them out. This should remind us that the migrant crisis is a result of several federal failures and systemic racism affecting every part of the immigration system in the U.S. The reality is that there are enough resources to help out newly arrived migrants as well as long term residents. Division amongst Chicago neighbors of different ethnicities has a long history but in order for things to improve, our communities can not be put against each other but should instead be working together to achieve common goals.
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