Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights meeting, January 30, 2024
- When: Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 9:00 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- Video: https://vimeo.com/906112301
- Transcript: full text (28,544 words, automatic captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights approved its December Rule 45 report and held a subject matter hearing, with no votes, on landing zone and shelter conditions, the shelter grievance procedure, and oversight of contracted agencies serving new arrivals. Public commenters raised work authorization, shelter evictions, contractor staffing, and objections to spending on new arrivals. Deputy Mayor Beatriz Ponce de León, DFSS and OEMC officials reported about 13,900 people in 28 shelters, extensions of the 60-day shelter stay policy, work permit clinics that had secured about 1,031 permits, a centralized grievance and incident reporting system, new meal contracts, landing zone and bus ordinance enforcement, and plans with the state to unify the new arrivals and homeless shelter systems. Members asked about vendor performance and removal of contracted staff, regular grievance reporting for wards, shelter time limits, medical care and isolation space, LGBTQ and African diaspora residents, volunteer coordination, and federal action on work permits, and Alderperson Byron Sigcho-López asked the committee to discuss whether Chicago should host the Democratic National Convention.
Topics: new arrivals shelters, 60-day shelter policy, work authorization, shelter grievance process, contracted staffing, landing zone, bus ordinance, homeless system unification, shelter health care, volunteer coordination
Agenda items discussed
- 1:05:11 December Rule 45 report: passed
- 1:05:24 Subject matter hearing on landing zone conditions, shelter conditions, shelter grievance procedure and oversight of contracted agencies: discussed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Andre Vasquez Jr. (chair): Welcomed the reversal of the 60-day shelter limit and cited reports of inadequate food, infestations and medical care concerns in shelters and landing zones. (1:05:35); Said new arrivals and longtime Chicagoans are not separate groups in a welcoming city. (1:07:02); Asked what performance metrics DFSS uses for shelter and landing zone vendors and how often performance is assessed. (1:38:39)
- Michael D. Rodriguez (alderperson): Said most migrants arrived through legal asylum processes and described migration as an opportunity for the city and country. (1:46:14); Thanked nonprofits and mutual aid volunteers who were at police stations from the first day. (1:48:59); Asked about the recent decline in arrivals and projections for future arrivals. (1:49:27)
- Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Asked how many shelter residents are not eligible for expedited work permits. (1:59:03); Asked whether the 60-day policy should be 90 or 120 days given lower than expected eligibility for rental assistance and work permits. (2:00:50); Asked to set up regular grievance reporting with DFSS coordinators, citing constituent concerns about a shelter manager in her ward. (2:06:12)
- Nicole T. Lee (alderperson): Asked what improvements have been made at the Halsted shelter near her ward. (2:25:02); Asked whether over-the-counter medications are available in shelters and how residents get care after hours, noting volunteers fill gaps. (2:27:35); Asked whether sick residents can be isolated and how postpartum mothers and newborns are supported. (2:30:50)
- Ruth Cruz (alderperson): Thanked the administration for extending shelter stays and said 60 days is not enough time. (2:46:25); Asked who retrains and coaches contracted shelter staff who are the subject of complaints. (2:47:10); Said contracted staff are well paid and should be held accountable for delivering services. (2:49:58)
- Byron Sigcho-López (alderperson): Said work permits are processing slowly and that asylum seekers have been treated differently from Ukrainian refugees with the same status, and asked what more the city can do. (2:58:32); Said the state should partner on resettlement beds and jobs programs. (3:05:15); Asked the committee to discuss whether Chicago should host the Democratic National Convention without federal and state support. (3:06:11)
Exchanges between members
- 1:58:31 Manaa-Hoppenworth echoed Rodriguez's thanks to mutual aid volunteers.
- 2:11:27 Vasquez referred to Manaa-Hoppenworth's point about contractor accountability for its employees.
- 2:47:00 Cruz said she was already speaking with Vasquez about a more feasible shelter stay policy.
- 2:57:14 Vasquez added to Cruz's point that the committee is talking with federal partners about executive action.
- 2:57:52 Sigcho-López said he echoed Cruz's comments.
- 3:07:29 Vasquez asked Sigcho-López to confirm he wanted the committee to discuss whether to host the DNC, which he confirmed.