Chicago updates 'new arrivals plan' as police districts clear housing of migrants

CHICAGO - To date, Chicago has welcomed more than 26,000 migrants from the southern border, and after months of efforts to catch up, all of the city's police districts are now cleared from housing individuals.

Now, the Mayor's office is updating its "new arrivals plan."

City officials say police stations will no longer serve as emergency shelters. While migrants may still arrive at these locations, the city asserts that it will expedite their placement into shelters.

As of Monday, the city reports about 20 migrants waiting to be picked up at police districts, with approximately 220 temporarily residing at O'Hare Airport.

Throughout the city, 27 shelters have been established, currently housing 14,000 migrants.

No buses were expected from the border on Monday.

Meanwhile, the city has announced the implementation of harsher penalties for bus drivers who fail to follow guidelines. Drivers are mandated to report to the specified landing zone and complete paperwork, but officials claim many have attempted to circumvent the law, unloading migrants in Rosemont and Cicero.

During a Monday afternoon press conference, Mayor Brandon Johnson praised his administration for its handling of the situation, placing blame on Texas Governor Greg Abbott, especially when questioned about the health of new arrivals.

"There is no secret that they have been showing up sick," Johnson said. "What we're clear about is until we get a real handle about what is handling internationally, the city of Chicago, the city of Denver, the city of New York, and all these other cities in which the raggedy governor in Texas is shipping people across the world, and particularly throughout the country, until we get a handle on that, we're going to be constantly placed in the position where we're going to have to come up with innovated approaches to address this migrant crisis."

Earlier this month, the Brighton Park migrant encampment was shut down by the state of Illinois amid construction due to environmental concerns.

The city has released its environmental report on the proposed campsite at 115th and Halsted, revealing problems at that location as well.