Shelters for Immigrants Will Close in December

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced that shelters for immigrants will close by the end of the year.

Temporary housing services for both homeless individuals and new arrivals will be unified.

Since August 2022, Chicago has seen a massive influx of asylum seekers.

Many immigrants were sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to sanctuary cities.

Migration Crisis in Summer 2023: Chicago Receives 2,000 Immigrants per Week

During the summer of 2023, as many as 2,000 immigrants arrived weekly in Chicago.

To handle the crisis, the city opened temporary shelters for the newcomers.

Most of the immigrants, primarily from Venezuela and Colombia, ended up sleeping in police stations and the airport.

Brandon Johnson praised Chicago’s efforts in welcoming foreigners.

The mayor also criticized Governor Abbott’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Johnson presented his plan to merge the immigrant shelters with those for the homeless.

Beatriz Ponce de León stated that the merger would benefit both communities.

The new system will provide 6,800 beds for homeless people and migrants.

Currently, the shelter system has 3,000 beds for the homeless.

The city will add 2,100 more beds, and the state will fund an additional 1,700 beds.

Starting in January, only immigrants who have been in the country for less than 30 days will have access to the shelters.