Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson was pressed on Wednesday about his administration’s decision to put a 60-day limit on shelter stays for illegal immigrants, including families with school-age children, WBMA-LD reported.
“The city began asking families with children to leave city shelters this week. Is that what the city should be doing, and does it live up to the values of Chicago as a welcoming city, as you’ve expressed?” a reporter asked Johnson.
‘An unsustainable mission.’
The mayor responded, “Well, our values are front and center. In fact, many people around the country and the globe have seen our motto and how we have provided care in this moment. As you know, I’ve worked hard to bring the state, the county, and federal government together to respond to this mission.”
“It is an unsustainable mission because we don’t have support from Congress. Congress, of course, refuses to respond to President Biden’s leadership, and they refuse to enact real, substantive immigration reform policy because that’s really what we need,” Johnson continued.
He blamed “Trump Republicans” for being “more interested in obeying a convicted convict — a felon,” referring to conservative lawmakers’ decision to reject a so-called bipartisan Senate bill that was introduced in February. Critics have argued that the legislation would not have cracked down on the crisis at the border as Democrats have repeatedly claimed. Instead, Republican lawmakers introduced the Secure the Border Act, H.R. 2, to put an end to illegal crossings, but Democrats in the Senate have refused to vote on it.
Johnson stated that illegal immigrants who are evicted after reaching the 60-day limit can come back if there is available bed space.
“55% of them do,” he continued. “About 45% of them move on. So yes, we are still living up to our values.”
After eviction, illegal immigrants can return to the city’s designated “landing zone” to reapply for shelter, WTTW reported. So far, 966 illegal aliens have been evicted from the city’s shelters.
Johnson claimed that Chicago is providing a level of care to illegal aliens not comparable to anywhere else in the country. City officials noted that exceptions to the stay limit can be granted to individuals with medical issues and those who are pregnant or caring for an infant. Those awaiting benefits from another government agency can also apply for an exemption.
More than 43,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in Chicago since 2022. The city has spent approximately $400 million to provide services, including shelter and food.
Last year, city leaders proposed adding a referendum to the March primary ballot that would have allowed Chicago voters to decide on the city’s “sanctuary” status. Johnson and his allies blocked the referendum in December, Blaze News previously reported.
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