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* Mayor Johnson’s Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights said earlier this week that base camps would “ideally” be built “in the next month.” But the mayor’s “before winter” comment could mean they’d be set up as late as December 20th…
Frigid temperatures and heavy snow arrived this week while migrants huddled in makeshift tents outside police stations. Johnson insisted Wednesday, however, that he was still on track to meet his deadline.
“It snowed, but winter is not here yet. And so my goal is still to make sure that we have base camps before winter,” Johnson told reporters after the meeting. “There’s a difference between being in a hurry and being in a rush. If you’re in a rush, you can knock stuff over, you can miss stuff. But we do have to hurry up because the clock is ticking. It is. So I’m moving as fast as I can.”
Ugh.
Stop talking, mayor. Start doing. Show us. Stop telling us.
* To be fair, the mayor did tell reporters this in Washington, DC today, but he exaggerated a bit…
Since I’ve been mayor, I’ve been mayor for five months, I’ve set up a new shelter every week.
Seven shelters existed when he took office. The city says there are now 24 shelters. He was inaugurated 24 weeks ago, so he has set up 17 shelters since then. That’s about one shelter every ten days or so.
* Speaking of which, this is an excellent question…
Has the city mentioned these county and state spaces at all since October 5th? Has anyone asked the city about them?
Where they rejected? Are they still being explored? It's been a month and men, women, and children are sleeping out in the cold. https://t.co/URd5VLgRKR
— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) November 1, 2023
* Back to DC…
Mayor Brandon Johnson visited the White House Thursday morning to sound the alarm on Chicago’s migrant crisis, in his first in-person meeting with President Joe Biden centered on the burgeoning asylum-seeker issue.
Johnson’s spokesman Ronnie Reese confirmed the mayor sat down with Biden and his chief of staff Jeff Zients, White House senior adviser Tom Perez and other officials with the Department of Homeland Security to discuss Chicago’s need for additional federal relief.
Though the mayor has met with Biden before, this was the first session specifically addressing the more than 20,000 migrants who have come to the city in the past 14 months.
Biden did not promise anything in response to Johnson’s ask for at least $5 billion in additional aid for migrants, but “these were very productive and positive conversations,” Reese said. The president is attempting to push a supplemental $1.4 billion package for migrant shelters and services through Congress, but Illinois leaders have said much more is direly needed.
* Sen. Peters has a warning from Germany…
Chicago is not alone on the world stage with migrants.
Hamburg is running out of housing. They’re demanding more federal support.
The right wing party is exploiting this crisis to get into power.
The global south is escaping to the global north.
We can’t turn our backs here.
— Robert Peters (@RobertJPeters) November 2, 2023
* From Isabel…
* NBC Chicago | Interview: Mayor Johnson discusses White House meeting on migrant crisis: Mayor Brandon Johnson traveled to Washington, D.C. to push for more federal assistance for migrants arriving in the city.
* Block Club | Migrants Sleep Outside In Frigid Temps As City Council Squabbles About What To Do Next: Volunteers say they’re struggling with no clear guidance from the city, and migrants say they’re living a “nightmare.” When asked about the status of his winterized tent camp plan, Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Winter is not here yet.”
* Sun-Times | Vote on second migrant tent camp delayed: The Chicago City Council put off a vote on accepting donated land at 115th and Halsted that would be the site of a migrant tent camp. Also delayed was a vote on whether to put a binding referendum on the March ballot to raise the real estate transfer tax to fund programs to reduce homelessness.
* CBS Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson mum on potential migrant shelter at shuttered downtown Chicago museum: Mayor Brandon Johnson didn’t give a direct answer when asked a yes or no question about the city’s efforts to explore the former Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications to possibly house asylum seekers. Earlier this week, Ald. Brendan Reilly released a statement saying the mayor was considering a migrant shelter at the Marina City complex, where that museum used to be, on State Street just north of the Chicago River.
* ABC Chicago | West Town migrant shelter opening pushed back as unions protest construction work: A handful of union carpenters along with their picket line rat mascot stood in protest along Western Avenue Wednesday. They’re contesting who is carrying out the quick-turn construction at the industrial space that will house 200 asylum seekers, including families and young children.
* NBC Chicago | Suburban retiree opens home to 7 migrants: ‘It was an easy decision’: With her kids gone and plenty of space in her Oak Park bungalow, she decided to open her home to asylum seekers from Venezuela. Since August, five adults and two kids have been living with Elaine. Most of them were previously living at the 15th District police station in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.
* Tribune | Migrants in cities across the US may need medical care. It’s not that easy to find: Tens of thousands of migrants who’ve come to the United States are navigating a patchwork system to find treatment for new or chronic health concerns. Doctors across the country say it’s rare that migrants receive medical screenings or anything beyond care for medical emergencies when they arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border, and there’s no overarching national system to track the care, either. Migrants’ options dwindle or expand after that – depending on where they end up – with some cities guiding new arrivals into robust public health systems and others relying on emergency departments or volunteer doctors to treat otherwise preventable health issues.
* AP | Volunteer medical students are trying to fill the health care gap for migrants in Chicago: Mostly students in training, they go to police stations where migrants are first housed, prescribing antibiotics, distributing prenatal vitamins and assessing for serious health issues. These student doctors, nurses and physician assistants are the front line of health care for asylum-seekers in the nation’s third-largest city, filling a gap in Chicago’s haphazard response.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:08 pm
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===base camps would “ideally” be built “in the next month.”===
I know a football stadium that isn’t getting much use. Perhaps, the bears could pretend to be professional football players somewhere else for a while.
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:21 pm
“it snowed but winter is not here yet” wow that is a comfort. I wonder how fast a site can be put up and operating? Do they actually have any site named and ready to go? By the time they I’d a site and have approval I bet it will be full blown winter
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:29 pm
I am done believing in the mayor. At this point the governor should cut the middle man out and deal directly with mutual aid organizers. It is one thing to not have a plan. It is another to ghost the press corp for 3 weeks and be defensive about your disappearance.
Block Club Chicago did a great job with today’s story summarizing what a mess everything has been. From communications to human services; the mayor and team have failed. LL had a better handle.
Comment by DisappointedVoter Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:39 pm
==So I’m moving as fast as I can.==
Really? You signed a $29.4 million dollar contract with GardaWorld on 9/12 and…from where I’m standing…have little to show for it.
For that money he should, at the very least, have had a GuardWorld representative at the podium to hide behind.
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:41 pm
It is obvious that some political decision makers have never been exposed to Legos when they were young. With Lego products, there are no written directions. The builder must study illustrations and follow steps in a very systematic manner.
These kits, some advanced models have 1000+ pieces, develop critical thinking, logic, and spatial reasoning skills.
If only our politicians possessed these skills, they would design and implement policies and programs to address the migrant crisis.
Instead, they fumble from one bad decision to the next. Problem solvers, not so much.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:48 pm
I am a little slow on the uptake can someone explain to me what point Peters is trying to make in his tweet?
I promise there is no snark or anything I’m just trying to understand what he’s saying
Comment by wowie Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 2:54 pm
wowie - That if Dems keep ignoring this issue (like Biden and our congressional delegation are doing), the far-right will use itto their advantage to take power. Without a real response to this issue, the Right gets to use it to show “chaos on the streets.” It’s the whole reason that Abbott is sending busses to Democratic cities. It also doesn’t help that Republican sanctions on Central American countries helped create this issue to begin with.
It’s not going away. People want to come here for opportunity. Housing is the real need, but our leadership has been neglecting the affordable housing issue for decades.
Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 3:00 pm
Spot on, NIU Grad.
Comment by Jerry Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 3:16 pm
===what point Peters is trying to make in his tweet===
1. Migration is a global issue, not unique to Chicago nor simply the US.
2. Nativists in lots of countries use the migrant crisis to gain political advantage just as we are seeing here in this country.
3. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 3:30 pm
I think we’re ALL past the “help me help you” phase of this Johnson Administration.
Here’s what I mean.
It’s not that “it’s been weeks/months” to any policy or even this crisis.
Like business, politics, sports, at some point “you are what your are”
Now, in a crisis, Johnson at this end of ends, we now know who he is and how he rolls, it’s up to all of us to put diamond making pressure on Johnson to change… to change… we are seeing this as who he is… Johnson needs to change.
Staff up, regroup, and go this on the fly there, mayor, there’s no time to ponder or wonder. Winter is already here. Do the actual job of running the city. Do it. If those around you can’t, get others who can. Stop messing around thinking you’ll “eventually” get this right.
I loathe watching bad baseball, the only thing worse/similar is watching bad policy and politics when it’s physically hurting human beings.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 3:36 pm
Also, “alone”
Peters knows the score.
There are two other types;
Those who ignore the score out of blind ignorance with a want to the bad.
Those who are hoping there aren’t many Peters paying attention.
If you’re offended by Peters’ tweet or my thoughts in concurrence, odds are you are in one of those two camps I wrote about above.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 3:40 pm
Thank you NIU Grad and 47th Ward - very clear and helpful responses and am grateful as always for commenters here who have helped me learn so much. Take care
Comment by wowie Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 4:02 pm
=1. Migration is a global issue, not unique to Chicago nor simply the US.
2. Nativists in lots of countries use the migrant crisis to gain political advantage just as we are seeing here in this country.
3. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.=
The first bus came over a year ago, where is the collaboration of city government, that used to get things done. Nobody knows how to govern anymore.
Lucky to have Biden and Pritzker.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 6:42 pm