Chicago Tonight | Spotlight Politics: The Push to Expand Migrant … – PBS

>> ILLINOIS POLITICAL LEADERS DEMAND HELP FROM WASHINGTON TO TACKLE A BURGEONING MIGRANT CRISIS.

CDA CHIEF JARELL CARTER, UNDER PRESSURE OVER LACKLUSTER SERVICE, AND A PLAN TO HIKE TAXES ON LUXURY PROPERTY SALE TO FUND SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS.

HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM, HEATHER CHERONE, SPECIAL GUEST NICK BLUMBERG.

HEY, GANG.

SO THIS WEEK MARKS THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF MIGRANTS BEING BUSSED FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER FROM TEXAS, SPECIFICALLY, BY THE GOVERNOR THERE, GREG ABBOTT.

MORE THAN 13,500 ARRIVALS TOTAL IN THAT YEAR .

HEATHER, OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT ABBOTT CREATED A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

WHERE DO THE EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE THAT SPAN?

>> IT IS GETTING WORSE BY THE DAY, AS BUS AFTER BUS COMES, AND THERE IS SIMPLY NO WHERE THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS TO HOUSE THESE PEOPLE WHO LITERALLY OFTEN ONLY HAVE THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS AND MAYBE A FEW BELONGINGS.

SO WHEN THEY ARE LORI LIGHTFOOT, FORMER MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY IN CHICAGO SIX DAYS BEFORE SHE LEFT OFFICE, THERE WERE 450 PEOPLE LIVING IN CHICAGO POLICE STATION .

NOW, THERE ARE ALMOST 2000 PEOPLE IN POLICE STATIONS AND AT O’HARE, WHICH GIVES YOU THE SCOPE OF THE CRISIS CONFRONTING MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON.

>> MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON WAS ONE OF A HOST OF ILLINOIS POLITICIANS TODAY CALLING ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FAST-TRACK WITH AUTHORIZATIONS FOR NONCITIZENS.

>> THE CITY OF CHICAGO CANNOT GO ON WELCOMING NEW ARRIVALS SAFELY AND CAPABLY WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT AND IMMIGRATION POLICY CHANGES.

>> HEATHER, IS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL ACTUALLY FAST-TRACK WORK AUTHORIZATION PERMITS , AND HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE WILL THAT MAKE?

>> WELL, THEY’RE HOPING THAT THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, IN A LETTER THAT WAS SENT BY GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER AND JOHNSON, AS WELL AS CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CITY OFFICIALS AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, WILL SORT OF, WILL PROMPT PRESIDENT BIDEN TO ACT.

AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY THEY WANT HIM TO DO IS TO ALLOW ILLINOIS TO ISSUE WORK PERMITS FOR MIGRANTS IN INDUSTRIES THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM A SHORTAGE.

SO FOOD SERVICE, LAWN CARE , SOME HOSPITAL POSITIONS ARE REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME BEING FILLED, AND WITH THAT CHANGE , WHICH THE PRESIDENT CAN AUTHORIZE, THEY COULD FILL THOSE POSITIONS, AND THAT WOULD ENABLE PEOPLE LIVING IN SHELTERS TO MAYBE GET AN APARTMENT AND SORT OF MOVE ON IN THEIR JOURNEY TOWARDS A NEW LIFE IN AMERICA, WHETHER THE PRESIDENT WILL DO THAT IS VERY MUCH IN QUESTION.

HE, OF COURSE, IS RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION.

>> ONE OF THE ISSUES HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YEAR-ROUND IN THIS CRISIS, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF FRUSTRATION FROM ADVOCATES FOR THESE ASYLUM-SEEKERS THAT, I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN USE THE WORD FAST-TRACK.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS NO LONGER A BRAND-NEW CRISIS THAT THE CITY, AND THAT MANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, PLACES AROUND THE U.S. ARE DEALING WITH.

SO THERE’S A LOT OF HUNGER FOR THIS NECESSARY ACTION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO CREATE THIS AUTHORIZATION.

>> HEATHER, WHAT MORE IS THE CITY ASKING FOR BY WAY OF SUPPORT?

>> COLD, HARD CASH.

THE CITY’S MAYOR JOHNSON SAID TODAY SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $100 MILLION TO CARE FOR THESE MIGRANTS.

THE CITY, OR THE STATE, HAS SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $250 MILLION.

THEY WANT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO NOT ONLY REIMBURSE THEM FOR SOME OF THOSE COSTS, BUT TO SEND THE MORE MONEY ALONG THE WAY TO CARE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY HERE, AND THOSE WHO WERE ON THEIR WAY AS WE SPEAK.

>> WELL, AND WE KNOW THE CITY HAS BEEN BALANCING THE NEED TO CARE FOR THIS INFLUX OF NEW ARRIVALS WITH ALL OF THE LONG-STANDING NEEDS OF CITY RESIDENTS, AND THAT’S CAUSED SOME TENSION IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS.

WE’VE ALL DOCUMENTED IT.

HOW WAS THE MAYOR MANAGING THAT?

>> WELL, HE SAYS THAT THE CITY HAS AN OBLIGATION AS A SANCTUARY CITY, AS A WELCOMING CITY, TO WELCOME THESE NEW ARRIVALS AND TO HELP THEM FIND THEIR WAY.

BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IF YOU TALK TO SOMEBODY LIKE ALDER WOMAN JEANETTE TAYLOR IN THE 20th WARD, SHE WILL TELL YOU THAT THE SHELTER THAT THEY OPENED IN WOODLAWN BECOMES A NUISANCE, AND THAT IS A MAGNET FOR CRIME AND OTHER UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS ONLY SORT OF EXACERBATING THAT TENSION BETWEEN BLACK RESIDENTS , WHO SEE HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS LIVING IN A SCHOOL THAT THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY FORCED OUT OF 10 YEARS AGO, AND THAT’S BECOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, IT’S DRAGGING DOWN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> AND A LOT OF FOLKS ARE ASKING, YOU KNOW, THERE’S BEEN THIS DRASTIC EXPANSION IN THE NUMBER OF SHELTERS THAT THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS WHEN WE HAVE, FOR YEARS, SEEN, YOU KNOW, TENTING COMMENTS UNDER OVERPASSES AND IN PUBLIC PARKS.

SO I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS ARE ASKING, WHERE WAS THIS URGENT ACTION TO CREATE MORE SHELTER BEDS BEFORE THIS CRISIS OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS ARRIVING?

>> NO EASY ANSWERS.

LET’S SEND IT TO CPA BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF TIME.

TOUTING IMPROVEMENTS AND NEW HIRES AT A BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY, BUT HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED CHALLENGES.

>> WE CERTAINLY, DESPITE BOTH ISSUES, WILL CONTINUE TO WORK EVERY DAY TO IMPROVE ON WHAT WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

I RECOGNIZE THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE BY THE CTA ON A REGULAR BASIS.

>> NICK, YOU’VE COVERED A LOT OF CTA STRUGGLES IN RECENT YEARS.

A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES, SOME POLITICIANS WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE AT THE TOP.

COULD THIS BE THE END OF THE LINE?

>> WELL, HE CERTAINLY DID NOT SOUND LIKE A MAN LOOKING FOR THE EXIT AT YESTERDAY’S BOARD MEETING.

HE TOUTED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIG CTA STRATEGIC PLAN TO TRY TO TURN THINGS AROUND AT ALL THE SERVICE AND STAFFING SHORTFALLS THAT THEY’VE HAD , OPTIMIZING THEIR SCHEDULE FOR THE STAFF THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE, A BIG RECRUITMENT EFFORT, BUT CERTAINLY A LOT OF DAY-TO-DAY COMMUTERS , TRANSIT ADVOCATES, ALL THEIR PEOPLE ARE NO FANS.

HE HAS LOST A LOT OF SUPPORT IN RECENT YEARS.

SO FAR, MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, AT LEAST PUBLICLY, HAS BEEN NONCOMMITTAL ABOUT WHETHER HE SUPPORTS CARTER AS THE LEADER OF THE CTA.

>> ON THAT FRONT, IF THERE IS A CHANGE, WHO GETS TO DECIDE?

>> THAT’S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY, BECAUSE THE MAYOR IS THE PERSON WHO APPOINTS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CTA, BUT THE CTA IS NOT A CITY DEPARTMENT LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH OR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, SO WELL CARTER WAS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR OF CHICAGO, HE ANSWERS TO THE CTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

IT’S SORT OF LIKE DHA, WHERE IT’S THIS QUASIGOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

SO UNLESS HE DECIDES THAT HE WISHES TO STEP DOWN, WHICH IT SURE DOESN’T SOUND LIKE HE WANTS TO, THAT’S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT HAIRY.

>> THE SECOND, NICK.

WHAT ARE SOME OF HIS FAILINGS, ACCORDING TO HIS CRICKETS ?

>> FOLKS HAVE LONG COMPLAINED ABOUT GHOST BUSES AND TRAINS THAT SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THEY’RE GOING TO SHOW UP ON THE TRACK, AND THEY DON’T SHOW UP.

CERTAINLY SAFETY AND CLEANLINESS HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE.

BUT IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO RELIABILITY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE CHICAGO AREA DON’T DRIVE A