(NewsNation) — Much of downtown Chicago is cleared of homeless people because of the DNC, but immigrants lacking permanent legal status are hard to miss.
Since Aug. 31, 2022, 46,734 migrants have flooded into Chicago from Texas given its status as a “sanctuary city.”
This right of passage is no longer the expectation, given border crossings are now down, something officials in Texas claim is because of the actions of Governor Greg Abbott.
Chicago spent more than $460 million during that time on housing, feeding and caring for migrants.
Data from the New Arrivals Mission shows nearly 90% of funding has gone to three private vendors: health care staffing ($277 million), equitable social solutions ($81.5 million) and open kitchens ($25 million).
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s $53 billion budget includes $182 million to help Chicago cover care for migrants. What’s more, the state spent over $126 million on asylum-seekers since November 2023, per the Illinois comptroller.
Medical assistance, rental assistance, and other benefits from local governments were not included in the aforementioned costs.