The Situation Many Migrants Face
There are an incredibly large amount of migrants that have come pouring into the U.S. in search of help. Many of these migrants come hoping to begin a new life and provide for their families. In many other countries, the situation is terrible, where there are no jobs, no money, and barely any food to give to people that live there. This is why many people decide to seek help.
However, the situation in the U.S. may not be favorable for them either, as there are many officials in the nation seeking to take advantage of these migrants. This is incredibly unfair for them, as they leave their country in hopes of a better life, only to come to the U.S. and be treated the same. Mayor Lori Lightfoot looks to support migrants, however, it is not going to be easy whatsoever.
Large Influx of Migrants Arrive in Chicago
Chicago is a place that has many shelters and helps available for migrants. Chicago, over the past couple of years, has taken a large amount of migrants. The city has helped them in whatever way they could. However, over the past couple of months, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has addressed a larger amount of migrants arriving in Chicago.
Therefore, she has declared a state of emergency for the city of Chicago. Not that the city does not want to help, it is simply the resources are incredibly limited. “We will always do right by our immigrant and refugee communities, but we’ve reached a breaking point in our response to this humanitarian crisis primarily manufactured by [Governor Abbott] for cynical political purposes,” said Lightfoot. The mayor says she will stand by migrants and assist them in whatever way she can.
Besides the humanitarian crisis, Mayor Lightfoot is also speaking about Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and how he may be using this for his own personal gain. “We’re not gonna treat them in the same way that we’ve seen Gov. Abbott do, without any regard for their humanity,” said Lightfoot.
Is There a Plan in Place for New Migrants?
The City of Chicago and Mayor Lightfoot are working on a plan to open more locations in Chicago. This will certainly take quite a large investment, as there are numerous migrants flooding into Chicago.
“We should all understand that this crisis will likely deepen before we see it get better, so as we move forward, the City of Chicago will have to bring additional locations online to prepare for the arrival of more individuals and families and to relieve Chicago Police Department districts,” Lightfoot said in her declaration. As aforementioned, there are many Police Departments across Chicago that are being used for migrants to take shelter.
Not only are police departments being used to house and shelter migrants. Airports and other locations are being used, as resources are decreasing with each passing day.
Why Is There a Sudden Surge of Migrants into the U.S?
There will be a COVID-era health rule that will be expiring soon. It has prevented many migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. “The move comes as the U.S. is preparing for the expiration of a public health rule, called Title 42, later this week, which has allowed the federal government to restrict the number of migrants seeking asylum into the country,” according to CBS News.
Therefore, there will be an even larger number of migrants that are going to be seeking shelter in different areas across the United States. This can be potentially detrimental to the city of Chicago, as the City is trying to meet everyone’s individual needs. Resources are scarce across Chicago, and it may be a lose-lose situation when this Title expires, both for Chicago and the migrants.
There is a hope that something can be done nationally to assist migrants that arrive in the U.S. That way, not everything will be left up to one city. Instead, each state can help each other provide support for migrant families.
Written by David Loran Jr.
Sources:
ABC 7 News: Mayor Lightfoot issues emergency declaration in response to surge of Chicago migrants
Block Club Chicago: Mayor Lightfoot Declares State Of Emergency Over Migrant Crisis, Says She Could Call In National Guard
CBS News: Mayor Lori Lightfoot issues state of emergency amid surge of migrant arrivals
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aids’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
