Chicago City Wire

The Illinois Republican Party is raising concerns over Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's prioritization of creating programs to assist undocumented immigrants while seemingly neglecting the city's homeless population.

The mayor's focus on establishing migrant shelters has drawn criticism from Republicans, who argue that attention should also be directed toward addressing the needs of homeless Americans within the city.

“Mayor Johnson is running to create more migrant shelters, but has yet to lift a finger to help Chicago’s homeless Americans,” the Illinois Republican Party said on Facebook. 

The GOP’s comments come as Johnson has moved to create a "welcome center" for newly arriving undocumented families. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) noted the launch of the pilot program at Roberto Clemente Community Academy located at 1147 N. Western Avenue. The center will help families enroll their children in school, access health and social services, and conduct trauma assessments, according to Block Club Chicago. The initiative comes as the city is struggling to house thousands of migrants who have arrived in the past year, with many temporarily staying in police stations. The Clemente Center is not a shelter but a place where families can get connected to services, and CPS hopes it can serve as a model for similar centers across the city.

The homeless have taken to congregating in the city’s airports. However, the city has been cracking down on homeless people seeking shelter at O'Hare Airport continues to leave them with few options, as they are turned away by police officers stationed at the airport. Advocacy groups argue that the enforcement actions are not a solution to homelessness and call for a more compassionate approach that provides a path to permanent housing for those in need.

“How the situation at O’Hare was handled is not a solution to homelessness. It doesn’t provide housing to people experiencing homelessness. And in fact, it makes it even more difficult for service providers who are working with people to secure alternative and permanent housing to even find those people,” Patricia Nix-Hodes, director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless’ law project, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

In May, the Chicago City Council also earmarked $51 million for housing the undocumented. The decision followed a heated debate, with protesters expressing opposition to spending on migrant housing before addressing the city's existing homeless population.

Earlier this year during a city council meeting, concerns were raised about the influx of migrants in traditionally Black communities and the perceived neglect of local residents, leading to debates over resource allocation and the city's handling of the situation. Chicago resident Jessica Jackson criticized the Chicago City Council for allocating more resources to migrants entering the country than to long-term residents and taxpayers in need. 

“In the words of Malcolm X, we have been hoodwinked, run amuck, bamboozled, by sitting here thinking that these Black politicians are helping us," Jackson said.