Several hundred migrants have moved into Wilbur Wright College for temporary housing in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood on the Northwest Side.
This comes a day before the City Council takes up a controversial plan to use millions in surplus funds to help the escalating migrant crisis.
Luz Eleja from Venezuela is one of hundreds of migrants now staying at Wright College.
“We just want the support. We just want you to see the needs of our children,” she told our sister station Telemundo in Spanish. “Not our needs, because we are here to work and keep moving forward, but we need to wait.”
The mother of three said she is trying to stay strong for her family and broke down in tears explaining her situation.
“I sometimes feel embarrassed that we have to wait for other people to bring us food to feed our kids,” she cried. “This is difficult.”
Some people in the community stopped by Tuesday afternoon to lend a helping hand, including a father and daughter, who were distributing food to migrants from the trunk of their vehicle.
“Well, I just brought them something to eat, but mainly the idea was to gather information so we can see what the needs of the people there,” said Luis Segovia. “What do they need? Do they need clothes? Do they need, you know, shoes?”
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Around 300 migrants, many of them women and children, moved in over the weekend after staying in the lobbies of police stations.
“I think it’s a real unfortunate situation for everybody,” said 33rd Ward Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez. “These migrants didn’t ask to come to Chicago and I think Chicago has established itself as a sanctuary city and it’s our responsibility to make sure the people who are arriving here with nothing have at least some basic protection.”
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The alderperson said City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to allocate $51 million in surplus money to help migrants.
“I am hopeful that it’s going to be passed and we’re going to have some money to be able to provide basic care. I think that part is important,” she said.
Meanwhile, Alderman Nicholas Sposato who represents the 38th Ward told NBC 5 he’s voting against it.
“It’s not something I support. All they have to do is put a substitute in and say that $51 million is for homeless people and then I will support it, but yet they want to stick firm for the asylum seekers only, so I can’t support that,” he said.
As more migrants make their way to Chicago, city leaders said they’re working with community partners to find a long term solution.
“Once again the feds need to step up here and allow these people to work and give them work permits and it will solve a lot of our problems,” he said.
The alderman said the city planned to house migrants at Wright College until Aug. 1.
