The state of Illinois has been footing the bill for migrants wanting to leave Chicago, a trend that is revealing the hidden side of the city's migrant crisis. According to ABC7 Chicago, more than 35,000 migrants have been sent to the Windy City since 2022, primarily by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, but not all have chosen to stay. The Illinois Department of Human Services disclosed that the state spent over $775,000 on travel accommodations for migrants departing by bus, plane, and train. With additional rideshare expenses, the total expenditure is nearing $850,000 of taxpayer funds.
These financial strains stem from an effort to ameliorate the living conditions for migrants who wish to leave. A family of three recently vacated their temporary shelter on the Lower West Side, destined for El Paso, Texas, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Moises Sanchez, a former barber from Venezuela, expressed his desire to exit Chicago due to employment struggles and the harsh cold. According to Sanchez on Feb. 13, "From the minute I arrived here, I wanted to leave. I didn't want to stay in Chicago. It's freezing. I can't stand the cold."
State data procured by the Tribune on Feb. 14 revealed that since mid-November, at least 3,194 individuals have received financial support for reuniting with friends and family elsewhere. A total of over $620,000 has been channeled into facilitating these departures, labeled as "diversion and outmigration" by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Furthermore, the number of migrants housed in city-run shelters has seen a notable decrease from more than 15,000 at its peak to nearly 12,400, as authorities wrestle with finding funds to provide for the thousands of migrants.
As part of the assistance offered, the state ensures that there's a friend or family member ready to receive the asylum-seekers at their chosen destinations. This information was provided by a spokesperson for Governor J.B. Pritzker to ABC7 Chicago, emphasizing that the receiving end must be prepared for their arrival. Records indicate a significant number of migrants are traveling to New York, Florida, and Georgia, and some are even returning to Texas.
36th Ward Alderman Gil Villegas expresses concern over the situation and urges federal authorities to take greater responsibility for the relocation issue. In a statement presented by ABC7 Chicago, Villegas articulated, "What we don't want to do is put people in a position where they're in a place that really doesn't fit or maybe they don't want to be here. So, we are trying to accommodate them as well to make sure that they can go ahead and begin their life here in the United States of America." Villegas emphasizes the importance of providing migrants with "the ability and the dignity to have a roof over their head, a meal in their belly until we can figure this out."
