Tensions are rising between top Democrats in Illinois and the Biden administration over the state’s migrant crisis. Thousands of migrants are being relocated to Chicago, however limited resources to house them are being provided.
Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker penned a letter to President Joe Biden criticizing the federal government’s response to the migrant crisis, writing “this is an untenable situation that has been exacerbated by a lack of federal action.”
Pritzker says his state has received more than 15,000 migrants seeking asylum since August 2022, mostly in the Chicago area.
Chicago is housing thousands of migrants at 23 shelters, several police stations and parks, along with Midway and O’Hare International Airports where they sleep on floors and share public restrooms.
Now, officials with the city say they are running out of room and resources to house and feed migrants.
Pritzker is demanding a coordinated response by the White House at the U.S. southern border, writing “the federal government must stop abdicating responsibility once CBP releases migrants into the interior of the country.”
He is calling on the Biden administration to take swift action by waiving fees for temporary protected status applications, coordinating logistics for migrants resettling, providing financial support to states and local governments, accelerating the timeline for employment authorization, and approving Illinois’ requests for Medicaid waivers and housing vouchers.
According to White House officials, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson along with Gov. Pritzker spoke with top aides to Biden on Sunday, Oct. 1, pleading for federal help.
During the week of Sept. 24, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced $12.2 million in grants through FEMA to help support communities providing services to migrants. However, the money is not enough to help cities overwhelmed with tens of thousands of migrants.
Also in September, the White House offered Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the U.S. by July 31, 2023.
The news was welcomed by New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who says the country is dealing with a migrant crisis simultaneously with a workforce crisis.
“For months, I’ve been saying the key to solving the asylum seeker crisis,” said Hochul during a news conference Monday, Oct. 2. “It’s a crisis because of the volume of people. The key is so simple, so crystal clear. They came to work, so let’s put them to work!”
Hochul’s office announced that nearly 400 employers are willing to hire migrants with legal work status for 18,000 open jobs across New York state. Whether Hochul’s solution works is yet to be seen.
Meanwhile, Chicago city officials inked a $29 million dollar deal with a private contractor to build “military grade” tent cities to house migrants. There has been no word on where those will be built, or if they’ll be completed before winter.