Johnson taps $95M in federal COVID-19 relief funds for migrant housing costs: report
CHICAGO - Chicago's mayor has decided to use the city's budget surplus of $95 million to accommodate the mounting costs of the thousands of illegal migrants pouring into the city.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, citing Mayor Brandon Johnson's top aid, the move came to share with residents how the city is providing care and shelter for the over 15,000 migrants flooding the city.
Johnson’s senior adviser, Jason Lee, said that while the resources will help, it will not "change the outlook" for the windy city's continued "unstable" migrant crisis.
"This doesn’t change that outlook," Lee told the Sun-Times. "We’re going to continue to lobby the federal government for more support as the situation becomes, frankly, more unstable."
Over 20,000 migrants have appeared in the Windy City since August 2022, Fox32 Chicago has reported.
In November, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that Illinois will funnel an additional $160 million to help migrants arriving in Chicago to resettle, including $65 million to help the city launch "winterized" temporary shelter to avoid people sleeping outdoors in cold weather.
Migrants listen in to Brayan Lozano, foreground, outside the Chicago Police Departments Central District (1st) station on Oct. 6, 2023. Lozano, an asylum seeker from Colombia, became a leader of the mutual aid group at the station. (Getty Images)
Johnson has criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for not directing more federal money to help deal with a situation that has continued to escalate-with no end in sight.
"What I have worked to do instead of having chaos is provided some structure and calm around the situation and, without significant federal support, this is not sustainable," Johnson said on CNN.
"I've said repeatedly we need more resources," he added.
"[W]ithout real significant investment from our federal government, it won’t just be the city of Chicago that won’t be able to maintain this mission; it’s the entire country that is now at stake," Johnson said.
The progressive leader has also extensively criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for sending buses of migrants to sanctuary cities and states.
The Texas governor has been bussing migrants into the city since last year to highlight the impact of illegal immigration on border towns in his state.
Last week, Abbott began flying migrants into the sanctuary city. Johnson complained that Abbott was not helping address the migrant crisis.
"In no way what the state of Texas is doing is helping the cause," he said on CNN.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.