Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Contrarian is congratulating 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares for rejecting a “Johnsonville” tent city meant for her ward that would house illegal immigrants.

“This is leadership,” Chicago Contrarian said on X.

“Instead of holding a feel-good "community meeting, @AldermanTabares has her finger on the pulse of her ward and is representing the best interests of her residents with a petition opposing a Johnsonville in her ward.”

“Well done, alderman.”

Tabares launched a petition to voice her concerns over plans to establish a temporary migrant shelter in her district, expressing worries about population density, school overcrowding, and stretched public safety resources.

”It is clear housing a migrant shelter here would be unwise, unsafe, and irresponsible,” Tabares said in a letter to constituents.

Tabares also announced her intention to work on placing a referendum on the March primary ballot to allow residents to vote on the city's sanctuary city status, encouraging her constituents to join her campaign to oppose the shelter's construction.

The petition comes as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced plans to create "winterized" tent cities to house undocumented immigrants, emphasizing the increasing need for housing as temperatures drop below freezing.

The 23rd Ward location at 7050 S. Pulaski Road in Chicago, a former Kmart, is among the proposed sites for this endeavor.

In September, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson awarded a $29 million contract to Garda World for the construction of the “Johnsonville” housing tents.

This contract drew scrutiny due to the absence of City Council debate, raising concerns among critics about potential conflicts of interest and transparency in the decision-making process, as Garda World not only builds the shelters but also transports migrants to the city from other locations.

“I don’t think we know enough about any of this situation, least of all who we are getting in bed with to address the migrant situation,” 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez, a candidate for the 4th Congressional District, told NBC Chicago.

“Just finding out that we’re paying the same company responsible for shipping them here, to now be in charge of taking care of them, is like having the fireman both set the fire and extinguish it at the same time.”

In different sections of the city where plans for "Johnsonville" tent cities have been proposed, residents have voiced their dissatisfaction.

Recently, protesters in Brighton Park voiced their opposition to the city's intention to create winterized tent camps for sheltering migrants, with some residents feeling that their concerns had been disregarded and that they had not been given prior notice of the plans.

“We are not racist,” Aaron Fan, a nearby resident, told Block Club Chicago.

“Almost everyone in this neighborhood is an immigrant.”

Detractors contend that the proposal centralizes "unvetted migrants" in the vicinity and assert that resources should be directed toward supporting American veterans and the homeless population.

In contrast, city officials justify the action, citing the significant influx of migrants into the city since August 2022, which has placed considerable pressure on the existing shelter system.