By Taeya Borek, Julissa Cahue and Shaye Rosengarden
@redlineproject
AI disclosure: NotebookLM was used to generate the AI podcast in this story.
Chicago has always been known for its embracement of immigrants and help for asylum seekers — a true welcoming city.
That reputation, however, has been put to the test over the past two years.
Since 2022, Chicago has welcomed over 51,000 migrants, majority of whom were sent in buses by governors in southern states, including Texas and Arizona. The high number of arrivals have tested Chicago’s resources in unprecedented ways, while simultaneously producing mixed reactions from its current residents.
To adjust to the influx of people, Chicago has had to make some changes, often controversial ones. Hotels and hostels, in addition to buildings that sit unoccupied, have been converted into make-shift shelters. Police stations and churches were even temporarily used for migrant placement. At one point, the number of arrivals was so overwhelming that the city considered building a “tent shelter” in a vacant lot in Brighton Park.
Sanctuary City
Migrants are arriving in Chicago in staggering numbers largely because of southern governors’ orders. Still, many are coming to the United States in general because they are fleeing the turmoil in their homelands. According to the National Immigration Forum, the majority of arrivals have come from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Columbia and some central African countries, with the highest number of migrants coming from Venezuela.
Venezuelans once belonged to a country with the best economy and democratic institutions in Latin America but is now a full authoritarian regime under Nicolas Maduro. The Venezuelan people are experiencing widespread poverty, increased government corruption, food shortages, and rampant violence, to name a few things, which has led to over 7 million people leaving the country. In conjunction with Mexico’s refusal to receive them, these reasons have steered them to the U.S.
PODCAST: Listen to this AI-generated podcast about Chicago’s migrant response covered in this article.
As migrant centers around the city began filling up at rapid rates, areas in the Brighton Park neighborhood began to stand out as potential locations for new centers. However, when news began circulating regarding the possibility of a new center location in the neighborhood, residents became outspoken on the matter.
Brighton Park resident and UIC student Genesis Alameda recalled the protests that broke out in the neighborhood after a new center was planned in the parking lot of 38th Street and California Avenue. Alameda said: “When I would drive by, there were big crowds of people protesting and being very vocal about how opposed they were to it.”
Despite the protests that broke out in the Brighton Park neighborhood, officials didn’t call off the construction of the shelter until they became aware of the potential hazards discovered in the construction process.
Alameda added to her experience by attending a university only minutes away from a migrant center. She mentioned a controversial event that took place earlier in the year regarding a Venezuelan migrant. According to FOX 32 Chicago, there were reports of a migrant sexually assaulting a UIC college student. She expressed concern about campus safety.
“I think since then, I’ve definitely felt more on edge, and it has kept me more aware of my surroundings, but I also think there are good and bad people everywhere and just because this person happened to be a migrant, it doesn’t define the whole community,” she said.
Alameda added that the actions of one person don’t categorize a whole group and overall provide a more optimistic perception.
The Impact on Chicago’s Communities
The financial effect of this has been extreme. According to NBC5 Chicago, Chicago has spent over $400 million to take in and care for the migrants over the past two years. The majority of that money, over half, has gone to Favorite Healthcare Staffing, a company that staffs the city-run shelters. This spending comes at a rough time for the city as it enters a $538 million budget deficit this year, as stated by ABC7 Chicago.
Chicagoans have had mixed reactions regarding these events. Many residents say they feel frustrated and irritated. Their anger, however, is not directed toward the migrants arriving but rather the city’s leadership.
Alameda said, “I think it’s nice to know that Chicago as a sanctuary city is dedicated to helping migrants access opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have, but I think the financial aid and funding that is involved should also be coming from federal aid since Chicago currently struggles with unfunded schools, disinvestments in neighborhoods, etc…”
The group feeling the most tension is Black Chicagoans on the south and west sides. According to AP News, some feel resentful towards leadership for the fast allocation of funds for migrants, despite their calls for funding into their neighborhoods for years that have gone unanswered.
Residents also have been upset about the city using unoccupied buildings as shelters. Woodlawn was one of the many neighborhoods that lost elementary schools in the 2013 Chicago school closings. One, Wadsworth Elementary, has sat vacant since then. Local activists and community members have urged the city to turn it into a community center. Chicago did not. However, in response to migrant arrivals, the city turned the building into a fully operational shelter within a matter of months, pouring $1 million into the renovations.
The influx of migrants has had a significant impact on Chicago’s communities. From shelters being opened that drain city resources to day-to-day encounters with migrants, the crisis has become something that locals cannot ignore as they are faced with the outcomes of the crisis in their everyday lives.
Suzanne Miranda, owner of Nomadic Ant jewelry store in Lincoln Square, often interacts with migrants in her community, learning their names and offering help whenever possible.
“I feel like most people want to do the right thing, but when it becomes a daily thing that they’re seeing, I think it’s a little harder to continue sustaining or trying to help, even though I think a lot of people want to, it’s just it’s difficult when it’s day in and day out,” Miranda said.
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Miranda’s predicament reflects the challenge many Chicagoans face — balancing compassion with the realities of a prolonged crisis. While some residents continue to offer support, others feel overwhelmed as the issue becomes unavoidable in their daily lives.
“There were Facebook groups of people who wanted to get involved to meet [migrants] when they came after being bussed in. I know some people were welcoming them with welcome packs that they had put together, but independently,” shje said.
The lack of government support has been discerning for remedying this crisis, with communities taking it upon themselves to relieve migrants. Recently, local shelters like the Parthenon Guest House and another shelter at 162 E. Ohio St. have shut down, making it even more difficult for migrants to have an accessible shelter.
“It has seemed like it’s changed now. I still see people occasionally, but it seems like there’s a little bit less of a presence,” Miranda said. “I feel like it might have been really noticeable those first months when it was happening so often.”
Miranda’s observations highlight the crisis’s visibility in Chicago communities. While initial efforts were taken through basic support and visible acts of kindness, the closure of shelters and ongoing challenges reveal a need for sustainable, coordinated solutions. As the city tries to balance limited resources and long-term solutions, the responsibility falls heavily on local communities to fill in the gaps.
The Current Situation
There are less than 4,000 migrants in Chicago shelters, and the current shelter system in place for migrants is set to end in January. Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced the One System Initiative (OSI) to take its place.
In a press release from the mayor’s office, Johnson stated: “We are shifting to a more cost-effective, equitable, and strategic approach that addresses homelessness for all who need support in the City of Chicago.”
OSI will merge Chicago shelters and services with the State of Illinois, and will serve all Chicagoans, including new arrivals. The main difference between OSI and the current system in place is that OSI will add over 3,000 beds to shelters and eliminate the 30-day extensions granted to new arrivals.
It is yet to be determined if OSI will solve all of Chicago’s problems. However, Chicago will continue to be a city that provides for its residents and receives migrants with open arms. Under Johnson’s and Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker’s authority, Chicago will continue to be a sanctuary city.