Mayor Brandon Johnson, in an apparent reversal on funding for migrant care, now plans to ask the City Council to authorize an additional $70 million to address the ongoing crisis, according to some Council members.
In January, Johnson met with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and reached a deal to request additional funding from City Council according to sources familiar with the discussion,
but later backed out.
This week Johnson began meeting with alderpersons behind closed doors, briefing them on a proposal to approve an extra $70 million in funding for migrant services, as part of a package with the state and county, according to those familiar with the meetings.
Asked about the reports of the briefings, and a possible new funding request, Johnson's office had no comment.
The proposed $70 million would be in addition to the $150 million set aside in the 2024 city budget to address the migrant crisis.
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), who has discussed the proposal with mayor’s office staff, says the funding would allow the city to shelter an additional 15,000 people.
City officials estimate more than 38,000 migrants have been transported to Chicago since the crisis began in August 2022, though the pace of arrivals has slowed greatly, with just five people awaiting shelter placements as of Tuesday morning.
But Ramirez-Rosa says the busing of migrants is expected to increase again as the Democratic National Convention draws closer.
“There are certain responsibilities that come with being the host city for the DNC and unfortunately, in this political climate, it means that we are being targeted by [Texas] Gov. [Greg] Abbott and other Republicans who are sending buses of migrants to the city of Chicago,” Ramirez-Rosa told the Sun-Times Wednesday. “We expect, based upon the intel that we received, that that's going to ramp up as we get closer to the DNC in August, so we need to be prepared as a city to meet that challenge head-on.”
Pritzker and Preckwinkle announced in February they would seek an additional $250 million from the state and county to respond to Chicago's migrant crisis, leaving a gap of $70 million that “all parties have agreed is needed to fund this humanitarian response,” according to a statement released that month from the governor's office.
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Under the new proposal, the city would fill that $70 million shortfall, matching the county’s contribution.
At a news conference Tuesday, Pritzker had nothing but praise for the mayor’s office, commending the city on its efforts to address the ongoing crisis, pushing back on a question from a reporter implying the Johnson was not taking the issue seriously.
“The city’s been working very hard at addressing the crisis of incoming buses that are being sent here from Texas,” Pritzker said. “We have been working together, the city, the county, the state — gosh, since August 2022 — to make sure we are providing everything that's necessary for people just to get a handle.
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people have been bodied for less... squatters rights or not...
but these lawmakers not checking these illegals for doing this dumb shyt a few people bout to get bodied...
got drug lords showing up now... gawddamn that joe biden just leaving the backdoor wide open...
