Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's new initiative to move immigrants out of police stations and into churches began this week, aiming to help around 340 people ahead of the winter months.
On Tuesday, Johnson announced the Unity Initiative, moving hundreds of immigrants out of police stations or the airport to local churches for temporary shelter and to assist with legal services and search for housing and employment.
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Around 1,200 immigrants are sleeping on the floors of police stations and at O'Hare International Airport, while slightly over 13,000 immigrants are living in city shelters, according to city data updated Wednesday.
Each church can hold a maximum of 20 people at a time, with the Southwest Side Dunamis Life Church joining around 17 other churches in welcoming a group on Wednesday, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
Grace and Peace Church, located on the west side of Chicago, will also be used as a fully functioning shelter. Others include the New Life Centers Of Chicagoland and the Calvary Memorial Church.
"This is all about stabilization, stabilizing the fact that they're not going to leave without food, housing. Once we stabilize the food and the housing piece, then we begin to enter into them and give them vision," said John Zayas, senior pastor of Grace and Peace Church.
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The new collaboration with local churches was funded by $350,000 in private donations, costing nothing to the taxpayers. The initiative launched weeks after Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) announced an additional $160 million as an emergency response to help immigrants arriving in Chicago to resettle. The funds will be used to set up a winterized tent base camp, a migrant intake center, and other measures to speed up moving immigrants out of temporary shelters.
The effort started the same week crews began construction of the Brighton Park migrant camp after multiple protests, environmental concerns, and resistance from neighbors caused delays.