Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson has rounded up local leaders for a regional powwow on the city's growing new arrivals crisis. Mayor Johnson, along with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, are hosting a regional mayors meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 16 to hammer out strategies for managing the influx of asylum seekers propelled into their jurisdictions.
Municipal chiefs from across Chicagoland are gunning for a coordinated response to an issue that Mayor Johnson pins on Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "reckless actions,” according to a Chicago government announcement. The meeting aims to shore up operational strategy and lay down plans for a collective advocacy front.
Geneva's head honcho, Mayor Kevin Burns, pointed out the agility and proactivity of mayors facing unscheduled drops of asylum seekers. "Our collective efforts are rooted in providing safe, respectful, and compassionate assistance for asylum seekers making their way to their final destination. This convening is a critical next step to strengthen our collective efforts,” Burns told the powers that be in the same communiqué. The plan is to stand united by engaging with state, county, and local big wheels for a streamlined effort.
Since the turn of the year, a whopping 535 buses filled with new arrivals have pulled into the Windy City, with a staggering 526 of those showing up since Johnson took office in May last year. A press briefing is slated to occur after the tactical talk, where Mayor Johnson and a contingent of regional mayors plan to spill the beans on their game plan to the press.
