Chicago scrambles to house migrants as winter approaches

As Chicago’s brutal winter looms, officials are scrambling to find shelter for migrants now living at airports, police stations and on the city’s streets.

As Chicago’s brutal winter looms, city and state officials are scrambling to find shelter for more than 2,000 migrants now living at airports, police stations and on the city’s streets, plus long-term housing for thousands more already crammed into overcrowded shelters.

But advocates question whether newly announced measures from state and city officials intended to help migrants settle more quickly into the city will work as planned or contribute to the worsening of a humanitarian crisis spurred by the busing of thousands of people to the city from Texas.

“So much is riding on Chicago winter, and we can’t afford for anyone in our beautiful state or city to freeze because we didn’t figure this out, to die because we didn’t figure this out,” said Karina Ayala-Bermejo, the CEO and president of the Instituto del Progreso Latino, which is involved in case management and other programs for migrants.

As of Monday morning, there were 12,251 migrants living in 26 active city-run shelters, with another 2,175 waiting in O’Hare and Midway airports, as well as inside and outside of police stations, for placement, according to a city census of new arrivals. According to the city, more than 21,700 asylum-seekers and migrants have arrived since August 2022, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant busing program reached Chicago.

Nathan McCarthy walks through a parking lot outside the 15th District police station on Nov. 5.Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune via Getty ImagesThe influx has put a strain on Chicago’s network of social services. There have not been enough shelter beds for everyone in need. And the process of moving people from temporary shelter to permanent, independent housing has been painfully slow, advocates have said.