The influx of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border is causing a strain on several US cities, including Chicago.
Protests have erupted in response to a proposal to house illegal immigrants in a closed high school on Chicago’s south side. Concerned neighbors argue that this decision would further endanger the already vulnerable black community in the area.
While only one bus of migrants has arrived from the border states this week, authorities anticipate many more and have plans to accommodate hundreds of them at a high school on the city’s South Side, as reported by Chicago’s Fox 32.
In opposition to the decision, members of the black community held a protest outside the school, expressing their disapproval. J. Darnell Jones, a South Shore resident, questioned why leaders would put their black communities, already grappling with crime, at greater risk by placing unvetted individuals near their seniors, children, and hard-earned homes.
Natasha Dunn, a community leader in South Shore, echoed Jones’s concerns about the safety and long-term supervision of the migrants being placed in their area without proper planning and accommodation.
The ruling, if implemented, would allow temporary access to the vacant school building for sleeping, eating, and showering purposes for hundreds of illegal immigrants across the city.
Dunn expressed extreme dismay at Chicago’s inability to establish safe parameters and control the housing of migrants, citing the frustrations of the Black Community Collaborative South Shore and its clients.
She also criticized the lack of inclusivity in decision-making processes regarding the use of tax dollars for maintaining public school facilities, arguing that it negatively impacts the land value, safety, and peace of the community.
Linda Cohran, a South Shore resident, highlighted the preferential treatment given to newcomers while the needs of the taxpayers in their own community are neglected.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared a state of emergency, describing the situation as a national humanitarian crisis. The city is urgently calling for federal and state governments to provide additional financing and resources for emergency shelter and resettlement.
Jones, speaking to reporters, expressed concerns about the potential inclusion of noncitizens in local elections, questioning the impact it would have on the prosperity of Chicago’s black community.
The outrage extends beyond Chicago, with South Shore, Massachusetts, also facing community backlash over plans to house migrants in the region.
As the migrant crisis at the southern border escalates, cities like Chicago find themselves inundated with individuals seeking refuge, posing significant challenges to local communities.