According to a statement from Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office, the Illinois state government has committed more resources to aiding migrants by offering about thirty hotel rooms to individuals in need of lodging.
As a result of a recent surge in Texas asylum seekers, Pritzker said the state is temporarily housing families in hotel rooms at Chicago’s request.
The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, is accused of sending an “unprecedented number” of migrants to Illinois in recent days without any planning or prior notice, he continued. Officials said the state opened about thirty hotel rooms on Saturday night and that up to two hundred more rooms became available on Sunday.
“IDHS [Illinois Department of Human Services] continues to welcome our new neighbors with support services and assistance with work-permit applications, which will ultimately hasten their journey to self-sufficiency,” stated Dulce Quintero, the secretary-designate of ID
The hotels’ money will come from the additional $160 million Pritzker pledged in November, according to officials, to solve the humanitarian crisis caused by the influx of nearly 30,000 asylum seekers from the southern border of the United States.
The state claims that fewer people have been camped out outside police stations since Pritzker announced the additional financing last month.
As of Sunday, the city informed FOX 32 Chicago that 14,554 citizens were waiting to be placed in 312 active shelters, while 17 individuals were waiting at CPD districts.
The city also reported that O’Hare airport is seeing a 295-person delay. Six busses arrived on Saturday, and four more are anticipated on Sunday, as far as city officials are aware, they informed the TV station.
It was not immediately possible to reach Pritzker’s office for comment.