After granting a 60-day ultimatum, Chicago’s Mayor, Brandon Johnson is set to commence the eviction of illegal immigrants from shelters. The process begins this weekend as the period of grace elapses.
About 5,600 immigrants have been projected to be victims of eviction from the city’s shelter system. As the expatriation waves draw in, a lot of these people are set to be displaced at staggering figures.
Policy And Backlashes
Chicago’s policy of illegal immigrants’ eviction has raised a lot of eyebrows. These criticisms reportedly have been coming from the progressive lawmakers in the state. Many don’t want the Mayor to go ahead with ousting the migrants due to quite humane reasons.
There has been a delay in executing the law for a while due to the prolonged cold weather since November. However, on Friday, Johnson announced that 35 of the said group will be asked to leave on Saturday. In the coming weeks, a couple more thousand are expected to be ousted.
The Population Of Immigrants In Chicago
Chicago is one of the many American states with incessant surges in its population. A part of the figures’ upswing is accounted for by the periodic migration of foreigners into the state. Recently, this has been fueled by the political interests of Republicans trying to prove a point.
Presently, 11,200 migrants are being catered to by the city’s shelter initiative. However, this figure is a little down from the late December high of approximately 15,000, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Some Exemptions To The Eviction Notice
Not all illegal immigrants will be booted out as it stands. There are a few considerations for those in some categories. Those with medical conditions or in the process of securing housing.
Similarly, those experiencing domestic violence or are pregnant are also set to be provided with appropriate shelter places. Johnson said to the media that although the policy stands, there are permissible exemptions.
Measles Outbreak Consideration
Multiple measles infections have been linked to a Chicago Pilsen migrant shelter. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) relayed on Sunday that the CDC teams will be available to screen and vaccinate new arrivals.
Arguably, one of the major pushes for the execution of the eviction policy is the recent measles outbreak in the shelter house. The migrant detention center in Illinois has been quite busy in the past few weeks as medical personnel continue to salvage the situation.
What Is The Cause Of The Measles Outbreak?
Since a second case of measles was recorded in a Chicago shelter, there has been the question of what the cause could be. Perhaps not that obscure after all. Migrants are less likely to be vaccinated against the disease, hence their susceptibility.
Also, it’s a lot of stress for the city since the first two cases reported recently would be Chicago’s first cases in five years. Since the report of both cases, an increased number of measles cases have been recorded across the country in recent months.
The Nature Of The Coming Evictions
Citing Johnson’s administration, more immigrants will be sent off from the shelter homes. The Chicago Tribune hints on the figures, as a larger wave of eviction is set to commence. About 2,000 migrants will be required to leave starting next week and the end of April.
In what was described as a “staggered” eviction, the numbers will be in periodic small chunks. Roughly 244 will be removed by the end of March. And between April 1 and April 30, 1,782 will be expelled from the shelter homes across the city.
Fate Of Evicted Migrants
While it’s established that some migrants will leave the city’s shelter system, it doesn’t end there. The state has a protocol to see to the well-being of this group.
According to reports, the migrants will be redirected to a “Landing Zone.” This is designated by the city at 800 S. Desplaines St, where they can reapply for a bed. The landing zone is a temporary shelter house where migrants can stay and sleep in the city’s parked buses.
Some Other Offers
There are certain privileges available to immigrants under the Federal law. However, these migrants must meet some vetted criteria. About 10 percent of migrants living in brick-and-mortar houses are eligible for employment.
More so, around 1,300 households have started applying for the process of securing state rental assistance. This is as cited by the state officials to the media.
Oppositions To The Eviction Policy
Earlier on in the week, hordes of the city council members frowned at the eviction law. This was evident as 18 of them addressed and signed a letter to the mayor urging him not to go ahead with the policy.
Their argument was pretty reasonable and from a considerable viewpoint. They believe that evicting the migrants will cut many from the stability they enjoyed in the shelter homes they stayed in.
Johnson’s Response
Johnson would have initiated his eviction plan in January. However, he was pressured by the city’s lawmakers to hold back. The Mayor heeded their buzzes, also because the weather was quite harsh at the time.
This is an indication of how long ago the eviction process would have begun. The migrants have enjoyed this grace due to the continuous concerns of the city’s political stakeholders and the unpalatable weather conditions.
Chicago Mayor Vs. Texas Governor
Johnson expressed strong disapproval of the absence of federal support. He calls on Congress to punish the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott for moving migrants into the city. As a Republican, this is a way to show the rest of the country what border states are dealing with due to the surge of migrants.
Back in January, Brandon Johson had expressed that Abbott has been “attacking” cities ruled by black leaders with an influx of migrant populace. Republican governors like Abbott have sent buses of asylum seekers to Democrat-controlled states and sanctuary cities. This is supposedly intended to demonstrate the seriousness of the border crisis.
