Mediaboss Marketing

In a sweeping effort to address the migrant crisis in Chicago, city and state officials have rapidly transitioned thousands from temporary shelters to homes across the South and West sides. This move has prompted migrants to leave shelters by the masses, many arranging their own transportation via Uber or Lyft to newly found apartments, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Illinois Department of Human Services has disclosed an expenditure of $41.4 million to resettle over 5,000 households, a departure from the initial state and city leaders' plan announced eight months prior.

Tensions, however, have begun to surface as families have been instructed to quickly relocate miles away to make room for new migrant arrivals an action that has disrupted established community connections. Nearly 40 families residing at an old YMCA on the North Side, previously informed of its permanent status, are now faced with the requirement to relocate to a shelter at Daley College on the South Side. Jill Hallett, a neighbor, bemoaned the move, "They have library cards. They just went on a field trip to the library. They know the parks around here. They know how to ride their bikes around here. They are already embraced by the community in West Ridge and Rogers Park. So please, stop uprooting these people who have sacrificed so much," CBS 2 Chicago reported.

The decision to shut down shelters is seen by officials as a cost-effective strategy, with the city estimating to save at least $19 million from the closure of five sites since February 9. The rapid resettlement, though, has raised concern among migrant advocates over their welfare and the city's lack of a coherent plan to aid migrants in their new environments. Additionally, families who arrived after mid-November did not qualify for rental assistance, leading some to call themselves the "hidden homeless," according to the Chicago Tribune.

While officials project the need for $321 million to continue the migrant program through the end of 2024, individual migrants such as Angelica Beltran reportedly faced new challenges of unheated and unfurnished apartments amidst unfamiliar and sometimes unsafe neighborhoods. As the number of migrants to find their own apartments increased, the changes to the rental assistance program have been controversial, prompting questions about the migrants' future stability and integration into Chicago neighborhoods. "I dont think anyone can predict the future, but I know that its definitely going to be challenging," Sylvia Puente, president and CEO of the Latino Policy Forum, told the Tribune.

Disruptions to children's lives have not gone unnoticed, with reports of kids reluctant to switch schools and the local uproar over the forced relocations underscoring the complex social dynamics at play. Families, advocates, and community members continue to express their concerns as the saga of Chicago's efforts to manage the migrant crisis unfolds.

Read more here:
Chicago Officials Tackle Migrant Crisis, Rapid Resettlement from Shelters to Homes Sparks Tension and Concern - Hoodline

As people in Eagle Pass, Texas, carry on with their day-to-day lives, just yards away is the U.S.-Mexico border the center of immigration and border issues.

"We're known now for something that's almost notoriety rather than being famous for something. And that's for the migrant crisis we've had here," said Mike Garcia, an Eagle Pass resident.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other conservative governors nationwide have used Eagle Pass as a symbol to show record-high migrant surges which dwindled in January to more than 68,000 illegal crossings. It dropped fromnearly 150,000 migrantsin December, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics.

"So Gov. Abbott has managed to put pressure here in Eagle Pass and send cracks through the entire union," said Amerika Garcia Grewa, an Eagle Pass resident.

Now, former President Trump is going to visit Eagle Pass. His visit is aimed at highlighting the surge of people crossing into the U.S. illegally for years.

While some say Eagle Pass has nothing to gain from his visit, others believe his message of more enforcement is something the country needs to hear.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden will also be in Texas to meet with border agents in Brownsville and continue his push to pass bipartisan legislation that gives more funding to border agents and faster asylum hearings. His visit is also being received with mixed views in Eagle Pass.

The number of migrants flowing into the U.S.-Mexico border has taxed the immigration system a system that hasn't been significantly updated in decades.

In Eagle Pass, those on both sides of the issue want action, to help both the migrants and the town.

SEE MORE: Texas Gov. Abbott announces border camps for National Guard troops

Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com

See the original post here:
Surge of migrants causing strain on border resources - LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

See the rest here:
Denver Congresswoman Introduces Legislation to Address Migrant Crisis and Reform Immigration - Citizentribune

New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed allocating $2.4 billion in state funds to help tackle an influx of migrants arriving to the state but warned more must be done to manage the crisis.

New York City has seen a sharp increase in the arrival of migrant arrivals in recent months after Texas Governor Greg Abbott began busing migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border. The uptick in migrants in New York has left city officials scrambling to come up with shelter, resources and healthcare for the migrants. The city has seen more than 13,000 migrants arrive per month, Hochul said during a Tuesday morning press conference announcing her $233 billion budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year.

Hochul announced that $1.9 billion will be allocated from the state's budget and that an additional $500 million will be withdrawn from the state reserves to help city officials manage new migrant arrivals. This totals $2.4 billion being allocated to the migrant crisis.

"Because of these extraordinary circumstances, which show no sign of abating right now, we have no choice but to plan for those costs again in this years' budget," she said. "The state will now maintain that same $1.9 billion in funding. But because the number of migrants and the expenses have only grown, I am proposing that we draw $500 million from state reserves intended for one-time emergencies like this."

This will support migrant shelters, healthcare and management services, according to an overview of the budget released by Hochul's office. The previous budget initially allocated $1.5 billion for migrants, but spending grew to $1.9 billion, the governor said.

However, she warned in a post to X (formerly Twitter) after the press conference that more needs to be done to help the city grapple with the surge of new migrants.

"In our budget, we're committing $2.4 billion to help New York City manage the migrant crisis. But the crisis won't change until we see change in policy. I'll be in Washington on Friday to support federal legislation & push for more funding to help the City," she wrote.

Hochul's budget proposal underscores the challenges faced by elected officials as the need for increased migrant funding threatens cuts to other crucial government services.

She said the additional migrant funds is not only "the right thing to do" for asylum seekers and the city of New York, but also argued the state has economic interest in handling the migrant crisis.

"We also know that companies won't do business in New York if there are thousands of people sleeping on the streets or the quality of life is dramatically impacted because the city is forced to cut essential services. We must support the city of New York in this moment, avoiding disastrous effects and to protect our economy and state revenues in the short-term and the long-term as well," Hochul said.

New York lawmakers have until April 1, 2024, to pass a budget.

Newsweek reached out to Hochul's office for comment via email.

Both Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have previously warned about the impact of the migrant crisis, calling on the federal government to do more to ensure cities have resources to handle the surge in arrivals.

Hochul has previously warned that current levels of spending on migrants are "unsustainable," while Adams has said the migrant crisis may cost the city $12 billion over a three-year period, forcing him to rely increasingly on the state government for assistance as the city struggles to come up with that funding.

Adams has pressed President Joe Biden to provide sanctuary cities funding to cope with the migrant crisis, but relations between Adams and the White House have deteriorated as he voices critiques of Biden's handling of immigration.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Read the original here:
New York's $2.4 Billion Not Enough to Solve Migrant Crisis, Governor Warns - Newsweek

Hochul wants a 2.4 percent increase in school aid, which is smaller than in recent budget agreements and likely to be a point of contention in the negotiations with the Democratic-dominated Legislature.

Progressive advocates and lawmakers, too, are expected to press Hochul to agree to a tax increase on the states richest residents. They have pointed to a steady tide of middle-income and low-income earners who have left the state for less expensive areas of the country as the state facing a housing supply crunch.

The budget proposal from the governor will kickstart the roughly three-month talks over taxing and spending in Albany with the politically fraught migrant crisis looming over the discussions.

An on-time spending plan is required by April 1, the start of the states fiscal year, but negotiations often blow through the deadline.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is also unveiling his own budget plan Tuesday in a separate presentation, has pushed state officials for additional resources to help manage the flow of more than 160,000 migrants since 2022.

Adams has decried the migrant crisis and its effect on the citys own budget and has instituted spending cuts affecting services, though some cuts are being partially reversed.

Hochul and state lawmakers last year agreed to $1.1 billion in spending for migrant aid and support, including money that Adams could seek through reimbursements. Since then, spending increased to nearly $2 billion to include migrant housing at sites across the city, including the federally-owned Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.

Hochul and Adams, who have stressed their productive relationship, have urged federal officials to act as well. But a polarized Congress, for now, is unlikely to approve federal aid to states that are grappling with an influx of people.

Republicans want Hochul and Adams to apply further pressure on President Joe Biden to take a more aggressive approach to border security.

We can slow the flow, ensure border security and then rightfully help those who are honest and have the right to enter this country through the asylum-seeker process, Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) told reporters during a news conference Monday.

New York officials are also piecing together a budget amid broader demographic changes in a state that has experienced nation-leading outmigration since the onset of the pandemic.

New Yorkers are getting older, presenting a challenge for policymakers to address an aging population while still funding public schools.

We have fewer school children, we have fewer people in our higher education institutions, but at the same time we have a growing aging population, many of whom avail themselves of Medicaid, Washington said in an interview Monday.

Hochuls budget will include an additional $825 million in funding to schools, including a $500 million hike in direct aid.

Washington pointed to the escalation of direct aid to schools in recent state budgets as well as billions of dollars in additional federal aid. The increased spending has boosted many school districts to the point in which their cash on hand have reached a legal limit, he said.

Theres just a lot of money thats been, rightfully so, put into the public schools in the last several years, Washington said.

Hochul will also propose an additional $90 million in funding for SUNY and CUNY. The proposal does not include tuition increases. A Hochul-proposed tuition hike was rejected by state lawmakers last year.

Medicaid spending would increase by 10 percent, due in part to higher-than-expected enrollment in the program and the cost of long-term care services for elderly people.

The states coffers have benefited from a post-pandemic boom in tax revenue, which has since flattened out. New York must also contend with future budget gaps as spending continues to outpace anticipated revenue.

The budget gap next year is expected to reach $5 billion and $5.2 billion the following year. It is estimated to balloon to a $9.9 billion gap after that.

Still, Washington was confident those holes could be filled.

We view that as manageable, he said.

Read the original:
Hochul's $233 billion budget to maintain migrant aid, avoid tax hikes - POLITICO