CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The influx of migrants being sent by bus to Chicago from Texas and elsewhere has triggered an emergency declaration from Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The mayor's declaration ordered department heads to direct whatever resources are needed to provide care for immigrants heading into the city.
According to a news release from the Mayor’s Press Office, 48 individuals and families arrived in Chicago on Tuesday. Since August 2022, officials said the City has partnered with Cook County and the State to receive and provide care for “over 8,000 new arrivals.”
She's pleading with the federal government for more help.
"We need a national solution for this national challenge. This can't be done city by city or state by state. It's got to be comprehensive and it's got to be originated by the federal government," the mayor said.
Lightfoot’s declaration also granted the mayor the ability to request assistance from the Illinois National Guard, though it was unclear whether that request had gone out.
Meanwhile, members of a City Council committee have been discussing whether to spend more than $50 million for migrant care.
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