Chicago prepares for influx of migrants ahead of Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO - As Chicago prepares for next month's historic Democratic National Convention, city officials are also bracing for a potential influx of migrants from the southern border.

As thousands of delegates descend on Chicago, thousands of new arrivals may also find themselves here.

During last week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Texas Governor Greg Abbott vowed to continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities, including Chicago, a move Democrats have criticized as a political stunt.

On Tuesday, the city's Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights met for nearly three hours to discuss how to handle the potential surge during the DNC. The city's landing zone will remain in place, as will its 60-day shelter limit.

The number of people crossing the southern border has declined in recent months, leading to a decrease in new arrivals to Chicago. As a result, officials report that there is more space available in shelters.

Despite reports suggesting that up to 25,000 migrants could be sent to Chicago during the convention, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce de León stated that no firm number has been provided and that the figure was taken out of context.

"We have been doing a range of projections based on weeks in the past that have high numbers of arrivals, and we are prepared for several thousand people to come beyond our existing shelter capacity," said Ponce de León. "We have some locations that we're considering just-in-time shelters, and they would be open for a limited period to help us get through a sudden influx of a high number of new arrivals."

Ponce de León also shared that the city has applied for a grant from FEMA to assist with food, shelter, and vaccinations for the influx of migrants, should they arrive. She noted that grant recipients would be announced in early August.