Professor points to policy errors as Chicago braces for non-budgeted migrant surge

Chicago may have thousands of additional migrants arriving before the end of summer, but government officials have not budgeted for a major surge.

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promised that his state would continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities until the U.S. border is secure.

Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman told the City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights Tuesday that she fully expects a surge, but additional shelter beds have not been budgeted for.

“No, so the surge that we anticipated is above and beyond the model that the state, county and the city put together,” Guzman said.

DePaul University Professor Jason Hill said these are the effects of what happens when people are not properly vetted before they enter the country.

“We do have a lot of criminals. We do have a lot of gang members coming into Chicago, into other states,” Hill told The Center Square.

According to city data, more than 44,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago in the last two years.

Hill is an immigrant from Jamaica. He said it is heartbreaking, but the government cannot be sentimental about this issue.

“Our infrastructures are being taxed in certain states. Welfare benefits are being given to migrants that are being deprived from what I would call foundation Americans, Americans who have been here, who were born and raised here. There is a dissymmetry and something untenable about that state of affairs,” Hill said.

Guzman said the city was spending $1.4 million dollars a day on new arrivals last December, even though officials knew it was unsustainable.