Councilmembers concerned as Mayor Brandon Johnson alters approach to asylum-seeker housing
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson finds himself under scrutiny from both allies and adversaries within the city’s council regarding his recent adjustments to asylum-seeker housing policies in the midst of the ongoing migrant crisis.
Typically aligned on migrant crisis strategies, Johnson’s decision to implement a 60-day shelter limit for immigrants has stirred dissent among councilmembers, prompting sixteen aldermen, including Johnson’s allies Ald. Daniel La Spata and Byron Sigcho-Lopez, alongside moderate Ald. Matt O’Shea, to issue a letter urging the mayor to abandon this policy. This marks a noteworthy departure, as it represents one of the initial instances where Johnson encounters resistance from members of his own party.
The letter, dispatched on Thursday evening, coincided with a legislative push led by Ald. Bill Conway, as 27 aldermen collaborated as co-sponsors. Conway’s proposal seeks to enhance council oversight over the utilization of federal stimulus dollars designated for addressing the migrant crisis. Johnson’s administration, responding to the crisis, allocated $95 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and utilized an additional $51 million from the budget surplus, a move that drew swift criticism from conservatives and certain local residents.