Near West Side community up in arms about migrant shelter, claim rampant drug dealing

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Chicago residents and business owners living next door to a migrant shelter on the city's Near West Side have had enough and are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to relocate the shelter.

Tuesday, tensions were high between community members and migrants living on Walnut Street. Residents and business owners held a press conference demanding the City move the shelter that houses nearly 1,000 migrants.

Jake Setlak said he lives in fear of the illegal activity happening daily outside, which includes drug dealing and street fighting all in front of children who have nowhere to play.

“They don’t walk a block to Union Park like other children in this community would, instead they’re left to play here, either in industrial traffic or in the same parkway that hundreds of shelter residents use every day for a toilet, trash dump and a drug den,” Setlak said. “Mayor Johnson, we have a message for you: You have failed Chicagoans and asylum seekers on Walnut street.”

Joanne Buege runs Cake Chicago. She said the illegal activity has disrupted business.

“Walnut has turned into a freefall market,” Buege said. “I have personally seen drug deals go down, almost weekly. I have seen children almost get hit. I have clients come in almost hit babies, and they were freaked out.”

The community is asking the mayor to move the shelter by Sept. 30.

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