CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The Illinois Department of Human Services had planned to convert the shuttered Kmart store at 71st and Pulaski into a housing site for migrants.
The state made a similar move last month, by opening a migrant shelter at the old Wadsworth Elementary School in Woodlawn.
Both proposals received strong pushback from the Woodlawn and West Lawn communities, and Illinois State Representative Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar said this time, IDHS listened.
“After careful consideration, IDHS (Illinois Department of Human Services) determined the site is not a viable option for housing migrant families due to safety and security concerns,” Guerrero-Cuellar wrote in a Facebook statement. “I will continue to support welcoming migrants to our state, and I thank IDHS for being receptive to our concerns."
Thousands of migrants have arrived in Chicago since the end of August.
Many are currently being housed in suburban hotels.
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