Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is backing off from a plan to open a new migrant shelter in the city’s South Side, after the alderwoman who represents the area “fully and unequivocally” opposed it.
Ald. Nicole Lee, a Democrat, had told constituents last week that she had been notified that the administration was considering plans to build a new temporary shelter in her ward to replace a shelter downtown “before the Democratic National Convention” in August.
“Yesterday, Ald. Lee met with Mayor Johnson about these plans and outlined in no uncertain terms that she is fully and unequivocally opposed to standing up this shelter at this location,” she said in the email.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gives an update on migrant issues at City Hall in Chicago on Jan. 29. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
She cited concerns about safety, a problematic location surrounded by train lines and a manufacturing district, and a lack of justification for the proposed relocation.
“We have asked Mayor Johnson that if they are going to move forward with this plan against our fervent opposition, that he and his team pursue a proper community engagement process prior to signing a lease and committing any funds,” the email said.
However, this week, the city announced the plan would no longer go ahead. The Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) said in a statement that Lee “was given notice early in the process in an effort to gather feedback and information about this potential site.”
“This site was under preliminary consideration and a site visit by various City departments had not been conducted. As part of our standard site vetting process, there were a number of assessments and physical improvements that would need to happen before a decision was made to move forward,” the statement said.
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Migrants stand in line to receive food from the nonprofit Chi-Care on Jan. 11. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
“While City staff had not had conversations with the owner, there were conversations held with the owner’s broker of the property and our vendor. The City is no longer considering this site,” it said.
City officials also denied to ABC 7 that the transition of migrants had anything to do with the upcoming Democratic convention.
In response, Lee said she expects that the city “will continue to explore other locations that would be safer and more appropriate for the migrants and community residents of Chicago alike.”
The controversy is the latest in continued unrest in the Windy City about the influx of migrants the city has seen since 2022, which has led to tensions between politicians and residents.
Some residents were outraged by the request, and subsequent approval by the City Council for $70 million extra to deal with the number of new arrivals the city is facing.
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That money is on top of $150 million assigned to migrant care in the budget already. According to Johnson’s office, the city has at its peak been dealing with more than 2,000 migrants coming in a week. Nearly 40,000 have arrived since August 2022.
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Mayor Johnson’s office said the funding request was to ensure the city is prepared “should there be any sudden increases in new arrivals sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.” The city aims to provide “basic necessities” including food, shelter, medical care, education, vaccines, case management and resettlement support.
