Chicago has welcomed more buses of migrants who arrived Friday, according to city officials.
City officials said in a statement released Saturday that a total of 3,313 asylum-seekers have arrived from the Texas border, including 86 who arrived on Friday.
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The group included families and individuals, who are receiving help from state, county and city agencies, according to the statement. Children and infants are among those who arrived.
Immediate shelter and support for basic needs was provided, according to the statement, which also noted that many who arrived had “walked hundreds of miles, navigating great danger through multiple countries.”
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“Illinois is a welcoming state,” the statement said. “We are committed to assisting each family and individual, providing human services with respect and dignity.”
Republican governors have been sending migrants to Democratic strongholds without advance warning for several weeks. The practice escalated last month with buses arriving at a wealthy summer enclave in Massachusetts and the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in an apparent taunt of immigrant-friendly sanctuary cities.
What happens once the migrants arrive here is unclear, immigration experts have told the Tribune. Immigration law applies to people differently depending on their circumstances.
People seeking asylum have the same rights under the Constitution and are given a court date to gain legal status.
The National Immigrant Justice Center has so far offered legal information to more than 2,000 people trying to navigate the process, which has been made more difficult due to the chaotic way people are arriving, said the center’s executive director, Mary Meg McCarthy.
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“This is not the way we should be welcoming people,” said McCarthy. “There is a better way. I have been doing this for more than 20 years. It’s a real hard time. … We are really trying to respond to the situation in a way that is humane and ensures that people’s rights are respected and they are treated with dignity.”
Unlike those who enter a country with refugee status, asylum-seekers arrive with nothing, the experts have said. Refugee status means a person can immediately apply for government benefits.
The City of Chicago noted several places to make donations or learn how to offer support:
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– A “rapid response” wish list set up by Instituto del Progreso Latino in partnership with the City and nonprofit partners can be found at www.InstitutoChicago.org.
– The city of Chicago has established a website with donation drop off locations at www.chicago.gov/support.
– Cook County has a link to wish list for families at https://cchealthfoundation.org/2022-migrant-campaign/.
– Further information on how to make a monetary donation to trusted sources can be found at https://www2.illinois.gov/ready/Pages/Asylum.aspx.
