(NewsNation) — Just days after thousands of migrants living in city-run shelters in Chicago were provided exemptions from eviction thanks to a modified shelter exit strategy, only three of the 34 migrants expected to leave temporary housing Sunday actually did.
City officials announced Monday that 31 of the 34 migrants who slated to leave three shelters were provided with exemptions under the modified plan. Mary May, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Office of Emergency Management, told NewsNation that of the 31 provided with exemptions, four were given extensions because of disabilities and pregnancy.
The remaining 27 are awaiting benefits for housing from the state, May said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced in a briefing Friday that those scheduled to leave over the weekend were being told Friday. The departures were scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Sunday. May did not return an email Monday inquiring when the exemptions were granted.
City officials said that the number of who are facing eviction will likely fluctuate each day. The three migrants who were not granted either extensions or exemptions will be permitted to return to the city’s landing zone and be reprocessed if shelter beds are available.
Exemptions and extensions to the policy will be determined on an individual basis, the city said on Monday.
As of Monday, there are 11,253 migrants living in 23 city-run shelters. Although Johnson’s initial exit plan called for an estimated 5,600 migrants and asylum seekers to be included in the first wave of shelter evictions, the mayor’s office announced that 244 migrants who do not qualify for exemptions will need to leave city-run shelters by the end of March.
An additional 1,782 will need to leave by the end of April, the city said.
While the mayor’s modified plan allows for more extensions for shelter stays, the Chicago Progressive Caucus, a coalition of city alderpersons, issued a news release again calling for Johnson to immediately end his 60-day shelter stay policy.
The group is also calling on the mayor to coordinate a call between state and federal officials to increase funding for Chicago for new arrivals.
“As progressives, we believe it is crucial for all levels of government to recognize and combat the root causes that contribute to so many of society’s ills,” the group wrote in a news release. “Rather than addressing root causes, however, we fear that the City’s 60-day shelter eviction policy is worsening them.”
Asked about the shifting numbers between Friday’s announcement and Sunday’s departure of only three migrants, Ald. Andre Vasquez told NewsNation in a text message, “Not sure, that would be a question for the Johnson administration.”
On Friday, Johnson issued a statement saying that the city is committed to compassion. He said by the city focusing its efforts on encouraging resettlement and providing case-specific extensions that focus on health and safety, it is advancing a pathway to stability and self-sufficiency.
“While we know Chicago’s limited resources cannot meet the full scale of need across the New Arrivals Mission,” Johnson said. “We are constantly evaluating options that will lead to better care for all Chicagoans.”
