Commentary: Migrant crisis tests the soul — and service infrastructure — of Chicago

Seeing the tremendous outpouring of support to assist those in need, I have never been prouder of our Welcoming City. My organization, the Latino Policy Forum, plays a role in organizing the Welcome to Illinois coalition, which provides a space for regular updates and coordinated efforts around the crisis. It provides a space for all institutional actors, including the city of Chicago, to transparently share information surrounding the response. 

We believe Mayor Johnson when he says there is enough for everyone and that he is putting the city on a path that does not pit one group in need of help against another. This cannot be done without acknowledging the true costs of addressing the problems of all and recognizing that there are tensions between the migrants and those in need who are already living here. We also must remember that the migrants are now part of our city; we can proactively help them. If we ignore them, we will see an increase in our unhoused population and more unplanned stresses on our social service infrastructure. 

What is needed is a long-term plan for investment in the social, educational, housing, health and economic response to this emergency: the epidemic of need. The federal government must contribute to the financial support needed by cities faced with the continuing influx of migrants while also easing work and other restrictions that are preventing migrants from obtaining the jobs they seek. These jobs will allow the migrants to build on the historical legacy of immigrants who have built the city and be more fully integrated into the city’s social and economic fabric. 

Sylvia Puente is president and CEO of the Latino Policy Forum.