Mayor Brandon Johnson’s approach to immigration in Chicago threatens the very fabric of our city.
While Chicago has a rich history of welcoming migrants, the current situation has reached a breaking point. More than 13,500 migrants have inundated our city since August 2022, and more than 6,600 of them are crammed into city-run shelters. Shockingly, 1,976 migrants have been left to sleep on the floors of police stations and O’Hare airport while awaiting shelter. Through the rest of this year total costs to the city are estimated to reach at least $255 million.
The federal government’s abject failure to secure our borders and rein in select border states that irresponsibly bus immigrants to sanctuary cities has exacerbated this crisis.
Johnson’s response has been nothing but empty rhetoric about Chicago’s welcoming nature, without providing any concrete solutions. He has also chosen to attack Mayor Eric Adams of New York, who rightfully warns that this problem could spell disaster for his city, with 100,000 newly-arrived immigrants, which are estimated to cost $5 billion this fiscal year.
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Johnson’s latest proposal to house immigrant families in tent camps is not only absurd but also cruel. This idea is a disgrace and is reminiscent of the “Hoovervilles” or shantytowns named after President Herbert Hoover which sprung up during the Great Depression to house the homeless in poor and demeaning living conditions. Expect the Johnson tent communities or “Johnsonvilles” to have the same effect.
It is high time that our city takes this immigration crisis seriously, but it cannot be resolved solely on the local level.
First, as a nation we cannot compromise national security and public safety. Every nation has the right, recognized by both international and domestic law, to secure its borders and ports of entry and control what and who is coming into its country.
Just as the federal government needs to do its part to secure the borders, the federal government needs to take action to end the illegal activity of governors in southern border states who are engaging in what is essentially human trafficking, by the near-forced interstate transfer of immigrants to states like Illinois.
In the meantime sanctuary cities like Chicago must avoid inadvertently fostering new immigrants’ government dependency, a stance that risks eroding the very foundations that have empowered immigrant communities to swiftly become stakeholders and contributors.
On the local level, Chicago and the state must take immediate action to address this escalating crisis before it overwhelms us financially and divides our communities irreparably:
Enforce immigration laws rigorously and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts, particularly in cases involving national security and public safety.
Extend work permits for immigrants and provide temporary operator licenses to immigrant businesses that comply with city ordinances, thereby facilitating their integration into the local economy. There are significant labor shortages and immediate work opportunities in Chicago right now, especially in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Establish a transitional housing network by leasing long-term accommodations, purchasing hotels and motels, and utilizing vacant apartment buildings to address the immediate needs of arriving immigrants and other vulnerable populations such as homeless families, victims of domestic violence, those returning from incarceration, individuals with chronic addictions.
Encourage residents to host immigrant families while streamlining the process for apartment owners to convert unimproved spaces into garden units. Thousands of households would welcome immigrant families and the supplemental income. Meanwhile, apartment owners have unimproved spaces that could be converted for housing.
Urge the state to utilize all government residential facilities at its disposal, including opening the closed mental health facilities for transitional housing and making all Chicago Housing Authority vacant housing units available for this purpose.
Seek a federal disaster area designation to access reimbursement for the cost of providing housing and other support services to immigrants. FEMA routinely provides reimbursements for such documented expenses.
These actions would be more cost effective than the city’s current efforts, reduce immigrant dependency on government support, and aid local employers grappling with workforce shortages. Additionally, it would facilitate federal reimbursement for immigration-related expenses through FEMA.
Furthermore, members of the City Council should demand a detailed accounting of all funds spent on immigrants since the Welcoming City Ordinance was enacted. They should also consider placing the ordinance on the ballot for public referendum.
It is crucial to note that the very proponents of the sanctuary city ordinance and its extensive funding have been the strongest advocates for defunding the police in the past. Will our already strained Police Department be forced to bear the financial burden of covering the costs of Chicago’s sanctuary city policies?
Immigration is the cornerstone that has built this nation’s unrivaled identity. For over two centuries, the United States has flung open its doors to millions from every corner of the globe, lawfully admitting over a million newcomers annually — a number unmatched by any other nation. Immigration reform should strike a delicate balance between self-reliance and assimilation, respecting the consent of the governed as expressed through our immigration laws.
While we honor the historic contributions of immigrants, we cannot allow policies that breed government dependency or hinder immigrant integration into the economy; instead, we must enforce our immigration laws while paving the way for future contributions that uphold the finest American traditions of self-reliance and success.
Paul Vallas is an adviser for the Illinois Policy Institute. He ran for Chicago mayor this year and in 2019 and was previously budget director for the city and CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
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