More busloads of migrants arrive in Chicago as the city scrambles to find a solution

Photo byBarbara ZandovalonUnsplash

Buses filled with asylum seekers are continuously making their way to Chicago—with approximately five arriving this past weekend. According to the Chicago Tribune, volunteers received an email from a top immigration staffer with Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration about the migrants' arrival.

Approximately 13,000-15,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the city since August 2022, which is expected to increase. Where will they go? They've been placed in police stations, shelters, and even unoccupied school buildings. However, space is becoming limited as the city scrambles for solutions.

Mayor Brandon Johnson recently revealed his plan to build winterized tents (tent cities) where thousands of migrants will supposedly relocate.

That plan has been criticized, especially by residents in communities like Roseland and the West Loop. After not sharing much information about how much winterized tents will cost the city or where they will be built, it was revealed that an empty lot on 115th & Halsted is one of the locations for the tent cities. The lot, unused for years, was home to a Jewel Osco years ago.

Johnson's administration also moved more asylum seekers into a former office building in the West Loop, causing residents and businesses in that area to be outraged.