Because of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) bussing scheme, more than 15,000 migrants have settled in Chicago. Because of the large number of people coming, shelters are full, so the city has turned police offices and other places into camps for migrants. Several news sources say that there is more crime in and around the shelters.
A fight broke out in a Chicago migrant shelter over the weekend of September 23. There were reports that it wasn’t the first time. Early in September, Alderman Ray Lopez started asking elected officials to loosen some of the sanctuary city’s rules because there were more drug and gang-related activities in and around the shelters.
Based on a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, Lopez wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be able to catch illegal immigrants. He said that ICE should be able to do something when someone was arrested for gang-related crimes, drugs, prostitution, or sex crimes involving children. Also, federal police would be able to take action against anyone found guilty of these felonies. It looks like the motion did not pass the plan.
In August, Alderman Brian Hopkins said that his office was getting more calls about drugs, fights, prostitutes, and other crimes. He also said that there is more shoplifting in the shops near the shelters. The mayor said that the federal government should help more.
Chicago alderman sounds the alarm over an increase in prostitution, drug sales, and fights at migrant shelters in the city. Stores near the shelters say they've seen more instances of shoplifting. pic.twitter.com/61O2lZESVs
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 21, 2023
He runs a famous karaoke bar close to the shelter where the fight happened over the weekend. He told the press that no one in the area cared about the shelter, but he also said that the government wasn’t doing anything to stop the situation. He said, “Our clients don’t feel safe anymore.”
Alderman Brendan Reilly claims he has received feedback from hundreds of residents in his district, and they have complained about migrants fighting and dirty sidewalks. He told Mayor Brandon Johnson that while he is sympathetic to the migrants’ plights, there are “serious concerns that need to be addressed
