(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – As Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker expressed doubt about Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to house migrants in tent base camps, Johnson’s floor leader lashed out at state government.
Pritzker’s administration hasn’t stepped up to help establish shelters beyond one site that has not yet opened, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, said.
“I know why our mayor hasn’t gone out there and called the governor out, but I’ll do it,” he said Friday. “Because I think the truth needs to be said – that the state of Illinois is currently failing the people of the city of Chicago; that the state of Illinois is currently failing to make sure that we are protecting and integrating migrants and immigrants.
“And it has been this city, it has been this mayor, who has been shouldering this burden alone.”
Earlier this week, Pritzker voiced concern about Johnson’s highly publicized plan to put some migrants temporarily in winterized tents. The governor said his administration was working to help find brick-and-mortar sites and he again asked other communities to consider helping.
“I don’t think this is the only option,” Pritzker said Thursday of the tent-city idea, at an unrelated appearance.
The governor said the state has made grants available to cities that offer buildings to migrants. Pritzker said it’s not viable to move migrants to rural communities because they lack services.
“Those kids need to go to schools and some of those schools are not big enough to be able to handle the number of kids,” he said.
Ramirez-Rosa’s angry comments came at another city hearing on the migrant crisis, where officials once again vented about the options at their disposal to house migrants and what they say is a lack of federal resources.
Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire