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Bulk goes to Chicago, but Joliet, Elgin, Lake County, others to share in $41.5 million state asylum-seeker grants

Friday, Sep 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I told you this was coming earlier today. Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker announced today $41.5 million in awards to local governments in the Chicago region that are welcoming asylum seekers. The funds will make it possible for municipalities to provide direct services to migrants who have fled their homes to escape violence and other threats. The funds will be used for shelter and housing support, food, wraparound services, legal support, and health care.

“Illinois is a welcoming state, and we have stepped up to aid asylum seekers who have undertaken a dangerous and trying journey to try and build a better life for themselves and their families,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Although we will still need significant federal support as this crisis continues, these grants will empower local governments to build out services and supports for new arrivals so we can successfully transition them into our state and give them the opportunity to complete their legal immigration process.”

“In Illinois, we recognize the humanity of everyone and reject fearmongering and cruelty toward those seeking asylum,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “Through this funding, our administration is reaffirming our commitment to being a welcoming state because our diversity makes us stronger.”

It has been more than a year since Illinois started to receive buses from Texas governments, transporting migrants from the southern border who are seeking asylum in the United States. Since August 31, 2022, without notice, Illinois has welcomed over 15,000 new arrivals, primarily from Central and South America. To date, the state has contributed $328 million overall to support asylum seekers.

The Illinois General Assembly and Gov. Pritzker appropriated $42,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to provide support to local municipalities for the provision of basic services to new arrivals. To distribute the funds, IDHS is partnering with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), which provides management oversight in the form of a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process. MMC aims to work past geographical boundaries to build collaboration around public policy issues, with a common goal of improving the quality of life for the millions of people who live in the region.

“We were honored to play a role in this process, so that the recipients can receive much needed funding,” said Executive Director of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Neil James. “We understand the importance of providing support services for this vulnerable population.”
Municipalities receiving funding include:

• City of Chicago: $30.25 million
• Joliet Township: $8.6 million [Updated]
• City of Elgin: $1.27 million
• Lake County: $1 million
• City of Urbana: $250,000
• Village of Oak Park: $150,000

“The commitments announced today will strengthen the support provided to asylum seekers in Illinois,” said Grace B. Hou, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services. “We are grateful to every municipality that applied for this funding. Today’s awards demonstrate our commitment to assisting recent arrivals from the southern border with the resources that they need to be successful.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some Gotion-related news (Updated)

Friday, Sep 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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State, city, mutual aid groups outline asylum seeker/migrant assistance (Updated)

Friday, Sep 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the governor’s office…

Asylum Seeker/Migrant Assistance

Since August 2022, Illinois has provided or committed over $328 million in funding to address the humanitarian asylum seeker crisis with direct funding to the City of Chicago, State-operated asylum seeker services, and additional State-supported services.

In addition to direct funding, the State has partnered with municipalities across the state, elected officials, community-based providers, and the federal government to coordinate, develop, and implement the infrastructure and coordination required for comprehensive, responsive, and strategic planning.

This $328 million investment is on top of the State of Illinois’ ongoing programming as a welcoming state for all immigrants and unhoused residents, including Illinois Welcoming Centers; VTTC (Victims of Trafficking Torture & Other Serious Crimes) medical, food and cash assistance; Immigrant Family Resource Program (IFRP); New Americans Initiative(NAI); and Home Illinois, Illinois’ plan to prevent and end homelessness.

Direct Funding to City of Chicago

• $51 million in direct funding from the State to the City of Chicago for general asylum seeker support services
• $19 million passthrough funding from State to City in accessing federal Shelter & Services Program (SSP) appropriation

Direct State Asylum Seeker Support

• ~ $90 million in IEMA emergency support services ($3M Federal and $87M State)
• $51 million in State direct support to asylum seekers

o Hotel Supports (Rooms + Staffing)
o Transportation
o Medical

State-Supported Services

• $64 million in comprehensive State-supported services for asylum seekers:

o Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ASERAP)
o Move-out Supports (Catholic Charities, New Life)
o Wrap-around Services (ICIRR, Coalition of Immigrant Mental Health (CIMH))
o Food (Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD))
o Legal Services

• $43 million in funding to municipalities to support asylum seekers statewide
• $10 million to stand-up Interim Congregate Housing (ICH) facility on behalf of City of Chicago

The city has applied to receive all of the “$43 million in funding to municipalities to support asylum seekers statewide,” but Chicago Deputy Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas said at a city council hearing today that she doesn’t expect the city will receive all the money. In fact, she said, the city has asked the state to identify Latino communities throughout the state. You can click here for a list. [ADDING: The state will announce soon that it is sending the city $32 million out of that $43 million.]

* Slide from the city’s presentation to that city council hearing about its costs…

No word on how much of that came from the state beyond the $70 million listed by the governor’s office (although the state’s outline goes back to last year, while the city’s is year to date).

…Adding… The city is reportedly planning to ask the state for an additional $200 million appropriation during the veto session. Not sure where that’s gonna come from.

* The city is laughably under-staffed. There’s no excuse for this…

Vasquez asks Ponce de León how many total staffers she wants the city to provide her office of immigration in the next budget. She has one paid staffer currently. She answers she wants between 6 and 10 individuals, for communication, policy specialist, project managers

— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) September 29, 2023

That’s Beatriz Ponce de León, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights.

* Volunteers are really stepping up, despite the lack of help and direction from the city. They estimate they’ve spent $6.1 million…

How the city can tell volunteers "there will be 20 migrants dropped of at Police station X tonight" but then they can't even get it together to have someone from the city show up with blankets and water is mind-blowing. Totally dependent on the backs of volunteers.

— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) September 29, 2023

This is how much mutual aid groups estimate they've spent stepping up where the government has failed. pic.twitter.com/rJ4tc7XVMB

— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) September 29, 2023

* Also from today’s hearing…

Deputy COS Cristina Pacione-Zayas notes migrants can't get proper health care at CPD stations, ambulances called 365 times in Aug. Last wk alone, same #. “At some point it becomes an ambulance run … Our EMTs are not able to attend to the rest of the city”

— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) September 29, 2023

Izquierdo says about the 3yo girl who died en route to Chicago last month: “I keep thinking about, what if she got here, what if my team had seen her? What if we were able to do something?” Says she has also seen women who miscarried at detention centers south

— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) September 29, 2023

Wow.

* Not only is the federal government paying to fly some migrants to Chicago, they’re also doing this…

WHAT! The feds charge asylum seekers "upwards of $500" to apply for work authorization permits under Temporary Protected Status, according to DCOS Pacione-Zayas.

— Jim Daley (@jimdaleywrites) September 29, 2023

At least some waivers are available, but still. Ridic.

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Drip, drip, drip

Friday, Sep 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tom Schuba…

Fifty minutes after two women were somehow wounded by gunshots Aug. 25, [the now-former commander of the CPD’s patrol bureau John Spellman] informed Sox staff that Patrol Chief Brian McDermott wanted to “stop the game for public safety reasons,” according to a police report.

Spellman had been serving as a security supervisor for At Your Service LLC, the company that guards Sox park and is controlled by team executives, according to law enforcement sources.

There was concern that Spellman might have prioritized the interests of the team over the department and stalled in delivering McDermott’s request to pause the game, a source said. He also didn’t have the superintendent’s approval to work the security job, as required by a departmental order. […]

In an appearance last week on the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman Show, [former acting police superintendent Fred Waller] wouldn’t comment on whether Spellman had been given approval to work for At Your Service. He also sidestepped a question about whether Spellman had disobeyed a direct order from McDermott.

Spellman was demoted and sent to the Morgan Park District on Waller’s last day in office, according to the report.

Also, points to Schuba for calling it “Sox park.”

...Adding… Related…

* White Sox ballpark shooting victim breaks silence, speaks exclusively with ABC7: “I heard a loud pop,” the victim said. “I felt an impact on my leg, and I looked down and I did not see anything. I thought somebody, you know, in the crowd had thrown a beer can or thrown something, bottled water or something, and there was nothing there.” But then, someone nearby noticed a lot of blood, and she looked down and saw her right leg was bleeding. “It wasn’t until a couple moments later that somebody mentioned that there was a bullet found a couple of rows down,” she said. “And at that moment was when I realized I had been shot. I panicked. I completely went into panic mode, knowing that there was a bullet fired nearby us. And at that point I didn’t know if it was there was going to be more gunfire. I didn’t know anything. I was terrified. I wanted to get out of that area because I knew somebody in the immediate area had a gun on them.”

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