Migrants sleep in unused Chicago buses as winter storm looms. ‘Don’t want to be here’
Chicago is housing hundreds of recently-arrived migrants in out-of-service buses at the city’s “landing zone” as a winter storm looms over the area, news outlets report.
As of Jan. 10, Chicago reported that 324 migrants were staying in “landing zones,” temporary shelters for migrants, but the city noted that number changes throughout the day. Earlier in the week, the Chicago Sun-Times reported over 500 migrants, including over 100 children, were staying at a “landing zone” near downtown.
Jesus Infante, 23, told the Chicago Sun-Times he spent multiple nights on a bus without a jacket that fit. He said another migrant leaving the bus gave him a blanket.
“I don’t want to be here, but that’s the way it is,” Infante told the outlet.
Paula Quiñones, 38, described cramped conditions on the buses.
“We’re practically sleeping on top of one another,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times of spending four nights on a bus with her partner and young son.
Migrants staying in “landing zones” are reportedly sick, hungry and haven’t showered in days, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“If you’re not given food, you go to extreme measures. You look for food in the trash,” Robinson Mendez from Venezuela told the Chicago Tribune.
As of Thursday, Jan. 11, there are six buses being used to keep migrants warm, according to WGN9.
Chicago is expecting heavy winds and snowfall beginning the morning of Friday, Jan. 12, according to the National Weather Service.
Some new-arrivals are staying in buses for multiple days awaiting shelter placement, according to CBS2.
“As migrants arrive, we are able to provide immediate needs and warming buses will be available as they wait for shelter beds to become available,” Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications spokesperson Mary May wrote to Block Club Chicago.
There are almost 14,600 migrants in shelters, according to City of Chicago data. Almost 600 migrants are awaiting shelter placement.
In November, Chicago announced a 60-day shelter limit for new arrivals. Upon intake, new arrivals have 60 days to find housing or return to an intake site to make a new shelter request, according to a news release.
Over 30,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago from Texas since August 2022, according to city data.
Since August 2022, Texas has been busing asylum-seekers to Chicago, the city said.
This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Migrants sleep in unused Chicago buses as winter storm looms. ‘Don’t want to be here’."
