Photo credit Brandon Ison/WBBM Newsradio
CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- While “some” migrant tent camps in Chicago are in various stages of construction or planning, an effort to relocate migrants sleeping on the city’s police station floors and the sidewalks outside is moving slow but steady.
Jim Hamilton is the founder of the Chicago Welcome Foundation
"We're focusing on this whole issue-the whole migrant influx," he said.
"I don't want to call it a crisis. It's a humanitarian issue. They're coming here for a better life. Most are families. Most are single women with children."
As the 19th district police station was being cleared of 58 migrants, who are now placed in warm beds at local churches and shelters, Hamilton, a coordinator in this effort told WBBM that the schedule may be a little bit behind, but progress is still being made.
"They will have a roof over their head. They'll be warm. It's a thousand times better than this," he said referring to migrants staying at police stations or on the street.
Hamilton believes the situation "is getting under control" and "the city is doing the best they can." He also believes that frigid temperatures has motivated many organizations as well as individuals to help the migrants and remains hopeful for the future.
"The structure is coming into lay-just give it a little time," Hamilton said. "The money is there obviously. It just needs to be assigned properly and hopefully some of the larger tent camps will start rolling up in January and February."
As five buses relocated the 19th district migrants, eight buses of new arrivals were already on their way into the city.
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