Thousands more migrants in Chicago than previously reported, city officials say
There are thousands more migrants who have arrived in Chicago than previously reported, city officials announced this week.
A spokesperson for Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management reported an additional 4,468 migrants in its total census count of migrants Thursday morning. The total number of asylum-seekers who have come to Chicago since August 2022 was reported as just over 30,000 the day before.
The new uptick accounts for migrants who have arrived at O’Hare International and Midway airports since June. People have arrived in planes on free tickets paid for by religious charities in Texas and flown on chartered flights by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
O’Hare has turned into a makeshift shelter for hundreds of migrants who sleep on cots behind a black curtain or blankets on the floor. Migrants who have spoken to the Tribune say they have stayed for days or weeks at the airport waiting for placement in one of the city’s 28 active shelters.
As of Friday morning, 263 were staying at O’Hare, according to city data. Migrants bathe in the airport bathroom and say they haven’t been eating enough.
With near-blizzard conditions Friday and more than 400 migrants still waiting for shelter placement, advocates are concerned about a humanitarian crisis for those who have come to the sanctuary city looking for assistance.
The migrants — mostly from Venezuela — are fleeing economic disaster in their country of origin and often have no connections or recourse.
