One Chicago alderman said he was taken by surprise upon learning migrants had moved into a building in his ward on Friday. NBC 5’s Courtney Sisk has the details.
One Chicago alderman said he was taken by surprise upon learning migrants had moved into a building in his ward on Friday.
About 100 single migrant men were brought to the Chicago Parthenon Hostel in Greektown that day, and nearly 90 more moved in on Saturday.
Ald. Bill Conway, of the city's 34th Ward, said he wasn't aware of the details and found out from the media and community members on Friday morning.
“I’m committed to doing this in a safe and secure way," he told NBC Chicago. “We in the community, we want to help.”
However, Conway said he was hoping for more collaboration after reaching out to Mayor Brandon Johnson's office for more information and not receiving a response.
“I still don’t have clarity on that, I had asked people to come from the 12th District, which is the police district where Greektown is located, that request was denied so I still don’t know where the people are coming from," he said. “The guesthouse holds 136 people, and they’ve already brought in 190."
Some community members said it's a better situation than having migrants staying in police stations, but still not a good long-term solution.
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“I think its great that our city is a place that is accepting of migrants and is helping them try and reach their dream, which is just to have a better life for their families," said Greektown resident Connor Freedman. "This is a great temporary solution, but obviously isn’t sustainable."
Other longtime Greektown residents said they would like the city to address other issues first.
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“I think the city has bigger problems frankly," said Brian Rosi, who has lived in the area for 13 years. “As someone who lives in the neighborhood, I’m more concerned about crime and stepping outside and getting carjacked.”
NBC 5 Chicago learned last week that Mayor Brandon Johnson asked every alderman to identify locations in their wards that can house 200 migrants.
