Chicago City Wire

Alderman David Moore this week penned a public letter condemning Mayor Brandon Johnson for his administration's plan to use Thurgood Marshall Library and field houses at Ogden and Marquette Park as warming shelters for asylum-seeking migrants. 

"I vehemently reject any plan that would displace my residents and threaten the safety of their children. The libraries and parks are funded by the ward's homeowners, and they should be informed before any decisions are made that may impact them negatively," Moore (17th) wrote.

The alderman's letter also jabbed at the mayor's staffers for not seeking input from his office.

"It is my understanding, from previous conversations, that your administrations does not believe that alderpersons are required to be part of the decision-making process when it comes to what is best for our wards," Moore wrote.

"That is unfortunate, since we are the ones elected by the residents to interface with the administration on their behalf. Therefore, it is with the fullest weight of that responsibility that I am pushing back on the administration's actions to turn the 17th Ward's library and parks into migrant shelters. Such a move is not 'investing in people,' especially the people who live in Chicago, pay taxes in Chicago and have watched resources go to other communities at their expense for decades."

This is not the first time that Mayor Johnson has faced opposition over his plans related to migrant shelters. Earlier this month, downtown Alderman Brendan Reilly chastised Mayor Johnson for planning to convert a boutique hotel into a migrant shelter. According to his Oct. 30 report, Reilly believes that Johnson’s "decision will do irreparable harm to the River North community."

Shortly after Reilly went public with his objections, the Johnson administration dropped plans to use the Hotel Chicago at 33 W. Division as a homeless shelter.

The controversy over Johnson's plans extends beyond concerns of social harm. Reilly accused the Johnson administration of illegally entering into contracts to convert the hotel into a shelter without City Council approval, according to a report from Chicago City Wire.