CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor
Brandon Johnson will testify before Congress this week about the city’s status as a sanctuary city. The appearance follows a formal request from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which sent a letter to City Hall last month asking Johnson to participate in a public hearing on Capitol Hill. The letter raised concerns about the impact of sanctuary policies in Chicago, as well as in New York, Boston and Denver.
RELATED: Why is Brandon Johnson testifying before Congress? Johnson has said he would defend the people of Chicago and comply with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement. Ahead of Johnson's testimony, here’s a detailed look at migrant arrivals and key developments since 2022.
Migrant arrivals since 2022
Since Aug. 31, 2022, over 51,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago from the southern border. From August 2022 to December 2024, the city reported 946 buses arriving with asylum seekers. Of these, 602 buses arrived at the city's designated "Landing Zone," while 344 buses and two planes brought additional arrivals since November 2024.
Migrant funding
Chicago has allocated significant funds to support migrants arriving in the city since August 2022. As of February, Chicago has spent $638.7 million on migrant aid. City officials and residents have debated the sustainability of such spending and its impact on local communities. To address ongoing needs, the city launched the "One System Initiative" in December 2024, unifying migrant and homeless shelters into a single support network. The transition included adding 3,800 beds to the Department of Family and Support Services' current capacity and eliminating 30-day shelter extensions. Mayor Johnson described this initiative as a "cost-effective, equitable, and strategic approach" to addressing homelessness while responding to the decline in new migrant arrivals. The city said a five-year plan was being created to enhance services for unhoused residents. Funding has also been a contentious issue in Chicago, with many local groups questioning how the city could suddenly allocate millions of dollars for new arrivals while long-standing community needs go unmet. In 2024, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced plans to spend an additional $182 million in state funds to address the growing number of migrants in Chicago and Cook County. Republican lawmakers pushed back, arguing that the state should prioritize its citizens over new arrivals. Instead, Republicans called for increased funding for health care, law enforcement, and homeownership programs for residents.
Migrant shelter controversy
Chicago's efforts to accommodate an influx of migrants sparked various controversies over the years, particularly concerning the establishment of shelters in different neighborhoods.
West Town Shelter Dispute
In West Town, a building near Western and Ohio was repurposed to house migrant families in November 2023. Despite legal challenges from local residents aiming to halt the move-in, a judge denied the request for a temporary restraining order. Migrant families began relocating to the facility, which had undergone renovations to add more bathroom facilities. Prior to this, many of the migrants had been living in tents or police station lobbies.
Woodlawn Community Concerns
The decision to convert the former Wadsworth Elementary School in Woodlawn into a migrant shelter was met with significant opposition. Residents and local leaders expressed frustration over the lack of community consultation. Alderman Jeanette Taylor highlighted that the city proceeded without engaging the community, leading to protests and activists camping outside the facility.
A community meeting Thursday night in Woodlawn was packed with many people not happy about the city’s decision to go ahead and open up a shelter for asylum seekers – without their input – at a vacant elementary school campus. Concerns centered around resource allocation and the potential impact on the neighborhood. The Wadsworth building once had more than 500 students in attendance when it was active. In February 2023, city officials said 250 adult migrants moved in.
Brighton Park Tensions
Plans to erect a migrant tent shelter in Brighton Park led to heated community meetings. Residents voiced strong objections, feeling excluded from the decision-making process. Tensions escalated to the point where Alderman Julia Ramirez and her aide were physically attacked during a protest against the shelter. In December 2023, Governor J.B. Pritzker halted construction after environmental reviews revealed significant contamination, including elevated levels of mercury and arsenic in the soil. Despite initial assurances from city officials that remediation efforts had rendered the site safe for temporary residential use, the state decided to discontinue plans for the shelter due to these environmental concerns. Following the cancelation, several City Council members called for the resignation of officials involved in the failed project, criticizing the lack of transparency and collaboration with the community.
‘Pausing’ migrant shelters
In January 2024,
Chicago officials announced that they were 'pausing' efforts to open additional shelters and relying on the state to create more beds. To stay within its ‘New Arrivals Mission’ budget, a spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the time that the city was turning its focus to "outmigration and resettlement services." As migrants found more permanent housing, officials said space was becoming available in the city's 28 shelters.
Measles outbreak at the Pilsen shelter
A migrant shelter in the Pilsen neighborhood was linked to the majority of measles cases in an outbreak that began in early March 2024. These cases marked the first reported instances of measles in Chicago since 2019. About half of the cases involved children under 5 years old. By April 2024, the City of Chicago reported a significant decline in measles cases following the implementation of a vaccination campaign aimed at individuals lacking protection. Measles, characterized by symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes, and a rash, is highly contagious. The rash typically appears three to five days after the onset of symptoms, and individuals exposed to measles may remain asymptomatic for one to two weeks.
Chicago bus penalties
In December 2023, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced stricter penalties for bus companies that failed to comply with the city's guidelines when transporting migrants from the southern border. The proposed rule aimed to impose penalties on private bus operators who did not comply with specified rules regarding the location and timing of migrant drop-offs. Violations of the established rules could result in fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. In response, some bus operators began bypassing Chicago, opting to drop off passengers in suburban areas instead. To manage the situation, several
suburban municipalities implemented measures to regulate migrant accommodations. Elk Grove Village introduced an ordinance
prohibiting hotel and motel owners from housing individuals without medical documentation confirming they are free from contagious diseases within the past 60 days. This rule exempts those who have resided in the U.S. for at least a year. Additionally, the ordinance restricts warehouse owners from converting their buildings into temporary housing facilities. Similarly,
Schaumburg enacted a tax on hotel stays exceeding 30 days to deter the prolonged housing of migrants in local hotels. This decision aimed to protect the village's convention business and address residents' concerns.
Johnson to appear before Congress
Mayor Johnson’s upcoming testimony before Congress will likely address both the city’s response to the migrant crisis and the broader impact of sanctuary city policies. One of the policies Johnson will likely discuss is the Welcoming City Ordinance, which stops city agencies and employees from getting involved in civil immigration enforcement or helping federal authorities with such efforts. CPD has to follow certain protocols when ICE or other federal agencies ask for help. Supervisors are responsible for figuring out if the request is about civil immigration enforcement. If it is, they have to decline the request and notify the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Chicago also has rules in place to limit how city agencies handle information about people’s immigration or citizenship status. For example, agencies can’t ask for, keep, or share this information unless federal law, a court order, or a warrant says they have to. There are some exceptions, like if someone gives written permission or if the city’s legal team needs it for certain legal matters. Also, applications and forms for city services can’t ask about someone’s citizenship or immigration status. Departments need to check and update these forms every year to make sure they’re following the rules. Finally, federal agencies can’t access city databases or data-sharing platforms if they’re trying to enforce civil immigration laws.
