“Yes, of course, we are a welcoming city and we always do the right thing for our immigrant and refugee communities, but we have reached a breaking point in our response to this humanitarian crisis,” Lightfoot said during of a press conference on Tuesday.
The mayor is now able to request assistance from the Illinois National Guard thanks to Lightfoot’s statement.
Since last year, migrants have been bussed to Chicago and other places by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser to protest the administration’s handling of the border. Biden. As the Trump administration’s Title 42 health authority enforcement ends Thursday, Leeser also declared a state of emergency in El Paso.
Chicago has received more than 8,000 migrant buses since August of last year.
Hundreds of migrants are currently sleeping in police stations across Illinois, and activists are calling for more resources to help them. Lightfoot is unhappy with the FEMA funding the city has received over the previous year.
For this national problem, Lightfoot said, “We need a national solution.” “It can’t be done state by state and city by city. It has to be thorough and come from the federal government.
According to border guards, the situation will get worse this week. Thursday marks the end of Title 42, which allowed the government to deny asylum to people due to public health concerns during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to reports, tens of thousands of migrants have gathered at the border to prepare to enter the United States.
Republican lawmakers have pointed out that Illinois is the only state that offers immigrants over a certain age comprehensive health coverage. According to a recent study, the price of such health care will almost double to $1 billion by fiscal year 2024.
Marty McLaughlin, a representative for Barrington State, raised the issue of migrants with House members on Tuesday and urged his colleagues to act ethically when discussing the budget.
Over the next ten days as we discuss the budget, “please serve, protect and honor your promise to put the citizens of Illinois first, especially the most vulnerable,” McLaughlin added.