1,600 Migrants Are Now Living at Chicago Police Stations

>>> ABOUT 1600 MIGRANTS ARE LIVING IN POLICE STATIONS ACROSS CHICAGO ACCORDING TO CITY DATA.

IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A TEMPORARY SOLUTION BY MANY OF THOSE MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON FLOORS OR IN TENTS OUTSIDE POLICE STATIONS FOR MONTHS.

IN THE LAST WEEK, ALTERCATIONS BETWEEN ASYLUM SEEKERS AND POLICE HAVE ALSO RESULTED IN ARREST OF MIGRANTS.

JOINING US WITH MORE ARE THREE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE POLICE STATION'S RESPONSE TEAM.

WE ALSO INVITED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO JOIN US FOR THE DISCUSSION BUT WE DID NOT HEAR BACK FROM THEM.

WE REACHED TO THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT WHICH DECLINED OUR INVITATION.

I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

LADIES, FIRST.

YOU ACTUALLY HELPED ORGANIZE THE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AROUND A NUMBER OF STATIONS IN THE CITY.

DO THE CONDITIONS VARY STATION FROM STATION?

>> THEY DO.

THE CONDITIONS ACTUALLY HAVE WORSENED FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY JOURNEY BACK IN APRIL.

BUT THERE ARE STATIONS WHERE WE HAVE COLLABORATION FROM POLICE OFFICERS AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO HAVE STATIONS WHERE WE HAVE VARIED OR NO COOPERATION WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY.

>> CATHERINE, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN THERE TOO.

WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM MIGRANTS ON HOW THEY'RE BEING TREATED BY THE POLICE IN THE STATION?

>> WE ARE ASKING FOR VERY BASIC THINGS.

WHAT I HEAR WHEN I TALK TO MIGRANTS AT DIFFERENT STATIONS IS JUST TO BE TREATED LIKE PEOPLE.

UNFORTUNATELY WHAT I HEAR A LOT IS THEY'RE TREATING US LIKE ANIMALS.

IT IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION TO BE IN.

>> WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

>> IN TERMS OF EVEN JUST VERBAL COMMUNICATION OR LACK THEREOF OF COMMUNICATION, RESTRICTING ACCESS TO BATHROOMS OR LOBBIES WHICH ARE PUBLIC AREAS.

THEY'RE OFTEN USED AS COOLING AND WARM ARE TEMPERATURES DURING EXTREME TEMPERATURES.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BASIC THINGS, HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT.

>> ONE OF THE BASIC THINGS IS FOOD OBVIOUSLY.

SOME OF THE MIGRANTS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FOOD THEY'VE RECEIVED.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU HEARD?

>> OUR NEW ARRIVALS HAVE TOLD US A LOT OF THINGS WHILE STAYING AT THE POLICE STATIONS.

I THINK NEIGHBORS HAVE STEPPED UP A LOT WITHIN THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO HELP FEED NEW ARRIVALS.

BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF SPACE FOR THE CITY TO JOIN IN AND COLLABORATE ON THE EFFORTS.

>> EDDIE, YOU SAID YOU LIKE TO SEE THE CITY ISSUE SORT OF A BILL OF RIGHTS, RIGHT FOR MIGRANTS LIVING IN POLICE DISTRICTS.

WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION?

>> WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME RULE SET UP WHERE MIGRANTS KNOW WHAT THE CONDITIONS WILL BE AT POLICE STATIONS, WHAT TO EXPECT AT POLICE STATIONS FROM THE CITY, WHAT SERVICES WILL BE RECEIVING.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE POLICE OFFICERS COLLABORATING WITH VOLUNTEERS AND THE CITY TO KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM WHILE OUR FAMILIES ARE SLEEPING AT A POLICE STATION.

SO PART OF OUR ASK HAS BEEN THE SAME, HAS NEVER CHANGED.

WE WANT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, WANT ACCESS TO BETTER HOUSING.

WE WANT THREE MEALS A DAY WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE LAST FIVE MONTHS I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SHOWERS AND RUNNING WATER.

>> BASIC NECESSITIES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED IN THE PAST WEEKS HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF HAND, RIGHT.

WE SAW MIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICERS LAST WEEK IN DISTRICTS 8 AND 12.

WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT THE TENSIONS AT THE STATIONS HAVE GOTTEN THIS BAD?

>> NOT AT ALL.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A VULNERABLE POPULATION.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE A PRIVATE SPACE, A SPACE TO CALL THEIR OWN, WHERE THEY DECIDE WHAT THEIR LIVING SITUATION IS LIKE.

WE TALK ABOUT A DEPARTMENT THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF THESE INTERACTIONS.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A DEPARTMENT UNDER A FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE FOR THE WAY THEY TREAT.

IT'S NOT SURPRISING OUR NEW NEIGHBORS ARE SUBJECTED TO THE SAME TREATMENT AND ATTITUDES THAT ALL OF US HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO IN CHICAGO FOR A LONG TIME.

>> AND HELP HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF GIVING THEM A LITTLE FOOD LIKE WE SAID, SOME CLOTHING AS WELL.

VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN A BIG PART OF THAT.

DIEGO OBVIOUSLY THE CITY HAS BEEN LEANING HEAVILY ON WORK LIKE THE ONES YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING.

HOW ARE YOU AND FELLOW VOLUNTEERS FEELING AFTER ALL THE MONTHS?

>> WE HAVE BEEN FEELING A LOT OF EMOTIONS TO BE HONEST.

I STILL THINK THOUGH THAT THE CITY PROMISED US CREATIVE SOLUTIONS WHEN WE HAD A NEW MAYOR TRANSITION INTO THE OFFICE.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PLANS THAT NEED TO BE LONGTERM AND NOT SHORT TERM.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE NEARLY 2,000 MIGRANTS STAYING AT POLICE STATION FLOORS, SLEEP, EAT ON POLICE STATION FLOORS.

WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE CITY AND FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE US TANGIBLE SOLUTIONS ON THE PROBLEMS MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING.

THE TENT CITIES PROPOSED ARE NOT REALLY A SOLUTION WE THINK IS SUSTAINABLE FOR NEW NEIGHBORS.

>> YOU BEAT ME TO THE QUESTION.

I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT PROPOSAL ABOUT THE TENT CITY.

WHY DON'T YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD SOLUTION FOR THE MIGRANTS?

>> AGAIN, IT IS A VERY LOW BARRIER TO THE WAY WE ARE GOING TO TREAT FAMILIES.

I WAS IN A MEETING YESTERDAY WHERE THEY DISCUSSED THEY WANT FAMILIES IN THE TENT CITIES BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR WEEKS.

BASED ON THE HISTORY, THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE WHAT'S REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE FAMILIES AT POLICE STATIONS FOR OVER THREE AND A HALF MONTHS.

SO WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON SOME OF THE HOUSING NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

IN THAT SAME MEETING I WAS IN YESTERDAY THEY TALKED ABOUT HAVING PEOPLE ON THEIR OWN TWO FEET AND BEING ABLE TO RENT AN APARTMENT.

THE REALITY IS PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CREDIT, DON'T HAVE JOBS.

THE ONES THAT DO HAVE JOBS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT ARE WORKING UNDER THE TABLE.

THEN THEY CAN'T PROVE INCOME.

SO THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO GET ON THEIR FEET.

IF WE WANT REALLY THE CITY FOR OUR MIGRANT FAMILIES TO TAKE ON THE ROLE, THEN WE NEED TO SET A PLAN AND DO A SUSTAINABLE LONGTERM PLAN.

ONE OF THEM IS PROCESSING WORK PERMITS A LOT FASTER AND QUICKER.

FAMILIES ARE EAGER AND READY TO WORK.

HOW DO WE DO THAT COLLECTIVELY NOT ONLY WITH OUR CITY BUT WITH OUR STATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WORK PERMITS THAT ARE SO NEEDED SO FAMILIES CAN GET ON THEIR FEET AND FIND PROPER HOUSING.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN THE TENTS THAT MAYOR JOHNSON IS PROPOSING?

>> I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF PLACES IN THE CITY THAT ARE VACANT.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT A LOT.

WE ARE TALK BEING VIA CAN'T BUILDINGS, VACANT LOTS.

EVEN LOTS OWNED BY THE CITY ALREADY.

I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.

THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT STARTED A YEAR AGO.

THIS PROBLEM DIDN'T START WITH BRONX DON JOHNSON OR LORI LIGHTFOOT OR GREG ABBOTT T STARTED IN 2008 WHEN WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIX IMMIGRATION AND WE DIDN'T.

IN 2003, WE ESTABLISHED DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND IMMIGRATIONS ENFORCEMENT.

THESE ARE NOT THAT OLD AND WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN SURVEILLANCE AND ENFORCEMENT AND THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOTTEN US.

WE COULD HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN WORK PERMITS, HOUSING, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND WE DIDN'T.

WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE FULL PICTURE SO PEOPLE CAN BECOME INDEPENDENT.

>> THAT'S THE MAIN THING, THAT THEY DO BECOME INDEPENDENT EVENTUALLY.

HOUSING IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG PART OF THE ISSUE.

YOU ARE ALSO A REALTOR AND YOU HAVE HELPED IMMIGRANTS FIND HOUSING.

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT?

>> WE PUT A PACKET TOGETHER.

WE SHOW THEIR INCOME, A LETTER OF THEIR EMPLOYER, SAVINGS, A COPY OF THEIR SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THEY CAN PAY RENT, ESPECIALLY SOME FAMILIES HAVE HOUSING VOUCHERS FROM CATHOLIC CHARITIES.

WE PUT THAT TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT AS A SOLUTION TO LANDLORDS AROUND CHICAGO.

>> THE IDEA WOULD BE TO HELP MORE IMMIGRANTS FIND HOUSING