Mayor Brandon Johnson is sending a small delegation of state and city officials, faith and philanthropic leaders to the Southern Border to get a better handle on the migrant crisis.
That delegation will be led by Beatriz Ponce de Leon, the Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights.
The group will travel to Texas cities such as El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen and Brownsville, locations identified as the primary points of departure for new arrivals who come to Chicago by bus and air.
The purpose of this trip is to assess federal processing centers, municipal and NGO-led transit sites, and engage with local stakeholders to address financial and operational challenges in both Chicago and at the border.
A key focus will be improving communication and data collection for expedited work authorization processing and migrant self-sufficiency. The delegation will also share information on extreme housing and weather conditions faced by asylum seekers in Chicago, along with challenges for those without verified sponsors.
They will brief the Mayor and leaders for a subsequent trip to secure concrete outcomes.
The Mayor, along with senior aides and key personnel, will remain in Chicago to urgently address the need for additional shelter space as thousands of new arrivals are currently sleeping in police stations, airports, or outdoors.
With colder weather and a continuous influx of migrants, it’s crucial for all stakeholders at state, federal, and local levels to work diligently in meeting these challenges while also serving the needs of Chicago and Illinois residents.