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Asylum-seekers news coverage roundup

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After they missed their train from Glen Ellyn to Chicago early Friday morning, migrants wrapped themselves in thin white blankets on the concrete platform.

They were left at the Metra station after a ride in a large charter bus from El Paso, Texas, and given train tickets by their bus driver. They ran toward a train that was just pulling out of the station, but had gotten there too late. Police said the next train wouldn’t come for five hours. […]

Prior to the city’s rules, buses were coming at all hours of the day and night, without warning. Now, in order to skirt new $3,000 fees issued by the city, they’re doing the same in the suburbs — leaving some migrants in uncertainty and forced to stand or walk long distances outside in the cold.

Friday was the second day in a row Glen Ellyn received a bus, following a wave of nearby municipalities who passed similar ordinances with high fines for sending uncoordinated buses.

* Block Club Chicago…

Some migrants arriving at Chicago’s designated landing zone near Downtown are spending the night inside CTA buses while they await placement in city shelters.

Located at the corner of Desplaines and Polk streets, the landing zone is the city’s required drop-off point for buses bringing migrants to Chicago — although that policy has been flouted repeatedly in recent weeks.

Fifty-six migrants were at the site as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to data provided by the city. […]

“We don’t have a lot of food or a real shelter, but the bus is warm for the night,” Roja Rosales said. “We sleep on the floor and chairs waiting for the opportunity to have shelter space for us single men.”

* CBS Chicago…

As of Sunday there are 732 migrants awaiting placement. Eighteen are at Chicago Police Districts. More than 200 are at O’Hare International Airport. And nearly 500 are awaiting placement at the landing zone.

These numbers reflect a slight uptick in migrants at Chicago Police Districts. At the landing zone on Des Plaines and Polk, six heated tents will be constructed to hold migrants who await placement in one of the 27 city-run shelters.

Meanwhile, a CVS in Little VIllage is being transformed into a shelter to house 200 migrants. That one will house families with children and will be open for six months.

Both are set to open this month. Both are part of a $160 million investment by Gov. JB Pritzker in an effort to support Chicago during the migrant crisis.

* More…

* WTTW | Chicago Paid At Least $138M to Care for Migrants in 2023, Far Less Than Projections: Data: City officials paid at least $138 million in 2023 to house, feed and care for the men, women and children sent to Chicago from the southern border, according to data published by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. That tally, which includes all invoices paid through Dec. 15, defies predictions released by city officials in mid-October that the cost of the migrant crisis to taxpayers would top $361 million by the end of 2023.

* ABC Chicago | 4 suburbs approve ordinances to fine bus companies that drop off migrants without notice: Hinsdale the list of suburbs passing ordinances fining bus companies that drop off migrants without notice. One bus from Texas arrived at the Hinsdale Metra stop on Monday. It was the 11th in that suburb in 11 days.

* NBC Chicago | Chicago suburbs seek to restrict migrant dropoffs: “Mayors are looking at this for the same reason the city of Chicago did, which is that the chaotic nature of having buses just coming in and dropping people off at a train station or some other place within the city is not a good solution,” said Michael Turner, the mayor of Woodstock.

* Tribune | Handful of migrant buses arrive in Wilmette in recent days: Wilmette does not have plans to move forward with legislation to curb buses at this time, according to [Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman]. “We’re comfortable with the way we’re managing the process right now,” he said.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago migrant crisis: Illinois state government to build intake center for migrant bus drop-offs: So much so, dozens of migrants, wearing very little winter clothing and carrying young children, could be seen arriving Wednesday night on foot. They took a Metra train in from the suburbs, New Life Centers volunteers said.

* WNIJ | Public share opposition and support for DeKalb ordinance discouraging unannounced drop-offs of migrants:The ordinance mandates that bus operators get fined and their bus impounded if drop-offs of asylum seekers have not been approved by the city. In the city’s application, operators must seek permission at least 10 days prior to arrival and must include a plan for caring for the migrants for 30 days.

* WBEZ | Migrants’ mental health in Chicago is a looming crisis: WBEZ interviewed more than 30 people to understand the emotional toll migrants face, the army of helpers who are filling in the gaps of a frayed mental health system and what’s at stake. Some of those helpers’ efforts are catching the attention of leaders in other big cities where migrants are heading.

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 12:53 pm

Comments

Texas is deliberately hurting these innocent people by trying to randomly drop them off in the snow instead of at reception centers. I don’t get the electoral math that makes this sensible. But cruelty is on brand for these politicians I guess.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 1:07 pm
The federal government is paying Texas to treat people like cargo as a political stunt. I’m disappointed that our senators haven’t stepped up to strongly call on the Biden administration to change how Texas is receiving funding for this reckless transportation policy.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 1:14 pm
Will defer to the constitutional law scholars on the answer to this comment, but I recall from law school days that the US Supreme Court has “original jurisdiction” (like that of a trial court) over disputes between one State and another. Most of the cases involve boundary disputes between States, but would be curious if there would be grounds for one State to sue another (like Texas) for sending their migrant arrivals, w/o warning nor warm clothing / provisions.

Comment by Ares Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 1:21 pm
I don’t begrudge the Texas Governor for sending migrants to other states. Why should one state bear the entire burden? But I do blame Texas for going out of their way to hide the location and time they’re doing the drop offs. That is the inhumane part. The weather here is far different than in Texas.

Comment by Just Me 2 Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 1:36 pm
It’s an odd choice to brag about spending only a bit over 1/3 of the projected cost when you are feeding hundreds of people only 1 meal a day.

Comment by Stephanie Kollmann Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 1:43 pm
The cruelty displayed by Texas is an abomination. It is likely the least humane thing I’ve seen a US governmental entity do. There should be an uproar from religious entities and people
everywhere. People in shorts and sandals dropped at a closed suburban train station in the middle of the night to wait in the cold and weather for hours… who does that?

Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 1:50 pm
===I don’t begrudge the Texas Governor for sending migrants to other states.===

I do. Abbott claims to follow the teachings of Jesus. These actions clearly do not. Hypocrites like Abbott need to be called out by their faith communities.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 2:03 pm
==Why should one state bear the entire burden?==

Ellis Island (NY) and Angel Island (CA) did just fine processing immigrants up to the 1940s.

Comment by Jocko Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 2:15 pm
=== It is likely the least humane thing I’ve seen a US governmental entity do. ===

You need to revisit your history books.

Comment by Hannibal Lecter Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 2:20 pm
The City of Chicago needs to, today, raise taxes and employ its own fleet of buses to pick up migrants from Texas. The solution to inhumanity is not to point fingers; it’s to fix it.

Comment by Garfield Ridge Guy Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 2:21 pm
=== Ellis Island (NY) and Angel Island (CA) did just fine processing immigrants up to the 1940s. ===

I wasn’t aware Ellis Island was managed by the State of New York, or that it also provided food, clothing, healthcare, and shelter to every immigrant.

Comment by Just Me 2 Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 2:50 pm
===Ellis Island (NY) and Angel Island (CA) did just fine processing immigrants up to the 1940s. ===

Yeah. But people could work immediately, and NY rejected all those who would likely wind up being a “public charge,” (welfare recipient) which is what the new NYC lawsuit against the bus companies is essentially about. It’s illegal to transport someone to NY who will be a public charge.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 3:04 pm
Texas: You know, we’re only doing this because we’ve chosen to misunderstood Chicago’s “sanctuary city” status as an invitation to open borders. If you stopped attracting these people we’d stop shipping them to you.

Chicago: All right, we’re restricting how and where these migrants can arrive in our city. We’ll still make a minimal effort to house them, but you need to make a minimal effort at coordination with us and tell migrants what they can actually expect here.

Texas: (throws dart at map of northern Illinois) Darn, that one went wide. Send the next bus to…Pecatonica and tell ‘em they’re in Chicago.

Comment by 48th Ward Heel Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 3:05 pm
I like Biden, but he’s blowing it on this issue. By now, the Feds should have set up a few large processing centers with temporary housing along the border (mini Ellis Islands). They (the Feds) should then coordinate the movement of those migrants to their desired destination with the cooperation of destination cities and states throughout the county and waive the waiting period for work.

Resistance from Republicans should be countered with reminders that their stated reliance on biblical teachings for policy guidance means providing food, shelter, clothing, and care for the migrants. (cite: Mt 25: 31-48; Lk 10: 25-37)

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 3:08 pm
= I don’t get the electoral math that makes this sensible. =

It adds up to votes in Texas.

Comment by JoanP Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 4:39 pm
=I like Biden, but he’s blowing it on this issue.=

Yep, and so is Illinois. Your posts are really spot on.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Jan 8, 24 @ 8:29 pm