Chicago City Wire

While a request for updated information on the influx of illegal aliens into O'Hare Airport remains pending, a review of previously disclosed records show great concern among Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) officials for the needs of the masses arriving into the country illegally via the southern border.

That empathy shown to illegals has not been lost on Chicagoans faced with the prospect of housing those migrants in their communities. Protesters argue that U.S. citizens who are homeless, served in the military or those who've been waiting to become legal citizens are more deserving of basic necessities which are liberally being doled out to illegals.

Hot food and "always available hydration," showers at the High Ridge YMCA, rapid response cleaning, as well as medical services that have been provided to thousands of illegal individuals, are detailed in a Sept. 1 "Respite Center" report prepared by Joseph Serb, assistant commissioner of Emergency Management Services at CDA.

Last week, Chicago City Wire reported that City of Chicago taxpayers spent $567,563.76 between May and mid-October in overseeing the care of illegals, according to CDA records.

Staffing of the Respite Center - located at the bus terminal near O'Hare Airport's Terminal 1 - has been provided by Favorite Healthcare Staffing, referred to as "Favorite Staffing" in Serb's report. 

Favorite Healthcare Staffing has a $40 million contract with the City of Chicago to handle the city's migrant shelters through October 2024, according to reporting by Chicago's NBC 5.

The NBC 5 article stated that Favorite routinely billed the city at 84 hours a week, including overtime, "for most of its employees who worked at migrant shelters spread across Chicago."

"Our review of previous invoices found that during one week, Favorite billed the city for as much as $580,000 for one shelter, the Inn of Chicago, the city’s largest shelter that houses more than 1,500 migrants," the article stated.

According to Serb's Sept. 1 internal report, Favorite provided staffing at the airport's shelter from the start:

Showers

"Showers are provided at the High Ridge YMCA located at Touhy and Western in Chicago. Michael Ebele of 'Favorite Staffing' related that school buses with a capacity of 50 persons are used to make the transport. Up to six trips per day

are done. Contrary to the statements of one person to the media, Michael related that anyone who wants a shower can have one at least every other day.

Cleanliness

"Cleaning services are provided by Diverse Facility Solutions with an increase in staffing scheduled to start on 4 September. The personnel from 'Favorite Staffing' related cleaning has been done at least two times per shift. When

additional garbage pickup or cleaning has been needed the staff has asked the ASO stationed at the center who contacted the OCC, and the response has been rapid."

Medical Needs

"The EOC has arranged for medical visits by volunteer medical staff to check on migrants with chronic medical needs. Respite center staff have the phone number for the OCC in the event there is an immediate need or have asked the ASO on duty to request CFD medical services."

Food

"Food is provided by the current vendor 'Open Kitchens.' Various sandwiches and snacks often including fruit are available for breakfast and lunch. Dinner tonight 9/1 consisted of chicken and rice as well as fired (sic) chicken. With hamburgers as another option. Other dinners include pasta. rice and beans etc. and usually have at least two options. Ramen is available from vending machines but is not usually provided. Drinks and hydration are always available. Staff members related that the selection always includes water, and usually also coffee, milk and at most times juice."

Through flights provided by United and American airlines - mainly from San Antonio, Texas - a total of 4,137 illegal aliens (by Oct. 18, 2023) were provided makeshift shelter and provisions, crowding out and reducing movement space for customers and employees of the airport.

 "...[W]e have hit the maximum capacity in the migrant transfer location at the ORD bus shelter...," Serb warned on Sept. 1 in an email to colleagues.

"A check today while the census was at 505 revealed that the shelter management or the migrants themselves have expanded the area by pushing out the drapery on one side and arranging the seating on the other to carve out additional space to the extent where there only remains a narrow pathway for the public to transit or emergency evacuation of this operational area. This unilateral expansion has eliminated any areas the public could use to wait for their bus transit. As the photos below show, the public is now restricted to the outside sidewalk."

In documents provided to Chicago City Wire through a Freedom of Information request, the referenced photos were blacked out.

Days before Serb's email, Christopher Purcell, manager of Emergency Management Services at CDA emailed colleagues with a subject line, "Respite Center - Critical Mass," but the substance of the communication was blacked out.

Concerns among airport officials over poor internet connectivity at the Respite Center also commanded action from airport wireless provider Boingo.

Purcell wrote Boingo executive John Remlinger that migrants were "paying for Boingo service but are unable to connect devices or are experiencing weak signal."

After an onsite inspection, Boingo field engineer Daniel Garcia told airport officials that connectivity problems may be due to "client capacity at peak times."

"The APs (access points) in the Area are older models which are designed reliably handle (sic) 50-60 clients each reliably considering that there is limited obstructions and the signals are strong and clean. So if there is (sic) over 200 people all trying to connect at the same time during peak times the (2) APs in the area will be at capacity and struggle to connect more and more clients."