# Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights meeting, July 23, 2024

- When: Tue, Jul 23, 2024, 10:00 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](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/committee/immigrant-and-refugee-rights)
- Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8928487/video/988564493
- Transcript: [full text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/988564493.txt) (26,532 words, official 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, chaired by Alderperson Andre Vasquez Jr., held a discussion-only hearing on his ordinance that would prohibit length-of-stay limits at city-operated shelters, ending the 60-day shelter exit policy for new arrivals. Eleven public commenters spoke, most of them case managers and service providers urging an end to the 60-day policy, along with residents who criticized spending on new arrivals. The DFSS commissioner, the deputy mayor for immigrant, migrant and refugee rights, and the budget director presented on the shelter system, saying the shelter population had fallen from about 15,000 to about 5,600, most people screened received extensions, average stays exceeded 120 days, and the administration planned to keep the 60-day policy for now to preserve capacity for a possible surge around the Democratic National Convention. Members asked about encampments, transportation back to the Landing Zone, grievance processes, language access, housing funds and DNC preparations. No votes were taken.

Topics: 60-day shelter policy, new arrivals shelter system, homelessness, DNC surge planning, shelter grievance process, language access, rapid rehousing, migrant mission budget, public comment

### Agenda items discussed

- [8:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=526) Public comment
- [42:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=2572) Ordinance creating Transitional Haven guidelines prohibiting length-of-stay limitations at city-operated transitional shelters (O2024-0008394): discussed

### Alderpersons who spoke

- [Andre Vasquez Jr.](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/40) (chair): Said the 60-day exit policy has displaced people while shelter capacity exceeds 11,000 beds for about 5,673 residents, making the rise in homelessness preventable, and introduced his ordinance to eliminate shelter eviction policies. ([43:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=2596)); Presented data from the shelter reporting ordinance, saying about 58 to 60% of people exited under the policy returned to the Landing Zone. ([1:32:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=5522)); Asked whether the city tracks the roughly 40% of exited residents who do not return, to learn how many find housing or end up in tents. ([2:31:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=9086))
- [Michael D. Rodriguez](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/22) (alderperson): Asked the budget director whether an expected summer surge was included in the budget and how surge capacity would be funded. ([1:18:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=4737)); Asked whether the city tracks homelessness data in Denver, which offers only one to two days of shelter, to compare policy impacts. ([2:10:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=7836)); Said weekly shelter data is valuable and he wants data points to assess whether the 60-day policy should change. ([2:16:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=8203))
- [Jessica L. Fuentes](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/26) (alderperson): Said about a dozen new tents of evicted new arrivals have appeared in her ward, including an incident in which a tent was set on fire. ([1:37:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=5867)); Asked whether there is any room to change the 60-day policy ahead of an expected surge during the DNC. ([1:39:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=5958)); Asked whether people exiting shelters are transported to the Landing Zone, and raised concerns that people unfamiliar with the city could get lost. ([1:44:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=6272))
- [Maria E. Hadden](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/49) (alderperson): Asked whether the Democratic Party has contributed any funds toward the costs related to the convention. ([1:51:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=6706)); Asked how much city money for the migrant mission has gone to accelerated moving events, noting Bring Chicago Home did not pass. ([1:53:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=6784)); Said it is frustrating that beds are available while people sleep outside, and that an integrated funding system could have been built earlier. ([1:56:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=7004))
- [Jeanette B. Taylor](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/20) (alderperson): Asked how DFSS ensures shelters are up to standard and how families in the regular shelter system are helped into housing. ([2:40:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=9649)); Said both shelter systems need a real plan for housing, including working with CHA and HUD, and that the 60-day policy will create more homelessness. ([2:42:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=9748)); Asked about language barriers for shelter residents and requested a breakdown of shelter residents by nationality. ([2:45:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=9936))

### Exchanges between members

- [1:36:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=5772) Alderperson Jessica L. Fuentes thanked the chair before her questions.
- [1:51:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=6685) Alderperson Jessica L. Fuentes thanked the chair after her questions.
- [1:51:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=6691) Alderperson Maria E. Hadden followed up on Alderperson Jessica L. Fuentes last question about DNC funding.
- [2:05:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=7554) Alderperson Maria E. Hadden asked the chair to allow questions to the testifying residents about the grievance process.
- [2:06:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=7566) The chair agreed and invited members to question the residents.
- [2:10:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=7817) Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez thanked the chair before his questions.
- [2:17:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=8234) Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez cited Alderperson Jessica L. Fuentes report of new tents in her ward.
- [2:22:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=8531) Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez referred to Alderperson Maria E. Hadden point about the Landing Zone process.
- [2:31:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=9071) The chair thanked Alderperson Maria E. Hadden for focusing on the design of the process.
- [2:40:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=9649) Vice Chair Jeanette B. Taylor thanked the chair before her questions.
- [2:53:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789?t=10410) Vice Chair Jeanette B. Taylor thanked the chair after requesting a list of state- and city-run shelters.

## Documents

- [Other](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/10dc6e6c-108e-4033-93e7-543cd4adb804.pdf)
- [Agenda](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/b67ae50d-3191-44e9-b5fa-0147065fec39.pdf)
- [Other](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/947d9c0d-4db6-4df9-914a-ceaff87bab42.pdf)
- [Other](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/2ccab62d-63b3-4d82-8e86-a2c9785a5f81.pdf)
- [Notice](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/40c5619a-0fc5-4f8b-87e2-0e08276e524a.pdf)

---
Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A909C891-A43F-EF11-8409-001DD830A789 · Chicago Politics, an independent, nonpartisan tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt