>> CITY OFFICIALS PAID AT LEAST 138 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2023.

TO HOUSE FEED CARE FOR MIGRANTS SENT TO CHICAGO FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO NEW DATA OBTAINED BY W T TW NEWS.

BUT THAT TALLY DEFIES PREDICTIONS RELEASED BY CITY OFFICIALS HOBER.

BUT THE COST OF THE MIGRANT CRISIS WITH TOP 361 MILLION DOLLARS BY THE END OF LAST YEAR.

W T TW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER SHARON JOINS US NOW WITH A LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL TOLL OF THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS GRIPPING CHICAGO.

NOW, HEATHER, FIRST QUESTION, CHICAGO APPEARS TO HAVE SPENT ABOUT 40% LESS CARING FOR THE MIGRANTS LAST YEAR THAN OFFICIALS EXPECTED.

WHY?

WHAT THOSE PROJECTIONS HERE MARKED 158 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD MASSIVE BASE CAMPS TO HOUSE THE MIGRANTS.

AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THOSE PLANS NEVER CAME TO FRUITION.

>> BUT EVEN ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE PROJECTIONS, THERE'S ABOUT 65 MILLION DOLLARS LESS THAT THE CITY ACTUALLY SPENT.

THEN THEY HAD A THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO.

AND I'M NOT SURE WHY I REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE CITY'S BUDGET DEPARTMENT.

I DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE.

AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE 138 MILLION THAT WAS SPENT?

SO MOST OF IT ALL, BUT 11 MILLION DOLLARS WENT TO 3 OUTSIDE FIRMS CHARGED WITH CARING FOR THE MIGRANTS AND THE VAST MAJORITY WENT TO FAVORITE STAFFING, WHICH IS IN CHARGE OF EMPLOYING THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE CITY'S 27 SHELTERS.

NOW, THE CITY RENEGOTIATED THAT INITIAL CONTRACT WITH FAVORITE STAFFING FOR ABOUT 40 MILLION DOLLARS THROUGH THE END OF 2024, WHICH WOULD REPRESENT ABOUT 50 MILLION DOLLARS LESS THE CITY PAY THAT FROM IN 2023.

FOR THAT MONEY COME FROM.

SO MOST OF IT CAME ABOUT 78 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TO CHICAGO TO HELP THE CITY COPE WITH THE CRISIS.

BUT ABOUT 59 MILLION DOLLARS CAME DIRECTLY FROM CHICAGO.

TAXPAYERS FROM THE FUND THAT THE CITY USES FOR DISCRETIONARY SERVICES.

THE CORPORATE FUND, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WILL BE SORT OF IN THE SIT IN THE IN 2024.

TO COVER IT.

IT'S VERY MUCH AN OPEN QUESTION AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE CRISIS.

SO BY MORNING, NEARLY 27,000 MIGRANTS HAD ARRIVED IN CHICAGO FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 14,700 PEOPLE IN THOSE 27 CITY SHELTERS.

THERE ARE ABOUT 400 PEOPLE AS OF THIS MORNING WAITING FOR BEDS TO OPEN UP IN THE CITY SHELTERS.

SO THE CRISIS WHICH LAST YEAR DURING THE COLD WINTER MONTHS IS ONLY SHOWING SIGNS OF WELL, THANK ALWAYS