TOGETHER.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER.

WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>> MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON WEDNESDAY DEFENDED HIS HANDLING OF THE MIGRANT CRISIS CONFRONTING CHICAGO AMID CONTINUING TENSIONS WITH GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER.

HERE'S WHAT JOHNSON TOLD REPORTERS TODAY IN HIS FIRST REMARKS SINCE THE GOVERNOR QUESTIONED THE CITY'S APPROACH TO THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

NOW, I KNOW FOLKS MAY HAVE.

QUESTIONS ABOUT MY STYLE.

BUT DON'T QUESTION MY LEADERSHIP.

>> STATE OF ILLINOIS COMMITTED TO 2200 BEDS.

COULD REALLY USE THOSE RIGHT NOW.

>> WBTW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER SHARON JOINS US NOW WITH THE LATEST ONE WEEK BEFORE THE CITY IS SET TO START EVICTING MIGRANTS FROM CITY SHELTERS.

GOVERNOR PRITZKER SAID MONDAY THAT HE WAS, QUOTE, DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY'S PLAN TO STOP OPENING NEW SHELTERS FOR MIGRANTS EVEN AS TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT CONTINUES TO SEND BUSES OF MIGRANTS TO THE CITY.

JOHNSON RESPOND TO THAT CRITICISM?

>> WELL, KEEP ESSENTIALLY SAID THAT IT WAS THE STATE'S FAULT THAT THE CITY SHELTERS ARE STILL SO FULL THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WAITING AT O'HARE AIRPORT FOR A BED TO OPEN UP IN ONE OF THOSE SHELTERS AND SAID THAT THE STATE PROMISED TO STEP UP EFFORTS TO FIND PERMANENT HOMES FOR THOSE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND TO OPEN 2000 MORE BEDS ORIGINALLY PLANNED IN A WINTER ICE BASE CAMP THAT NEVER MATERIALIZED BECAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE 2 SITES THE CITY SAID WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE CAMPS THAT HAS LEFT A CITY STRUGGLING WITH A LIMITED BUDGET TO CARE FOR THE MIGRANTS AND STATE OFFICIALS LIKE GOVERNOR PRITZKER FRUSTRATED THAT THE CITY SEEMS TO BE SORT TRYING TO PUSH PRESSURE ON TO THEM TO TAKE MORE DIRECT ACTION.

HEATHER, IN NEARLY 2000 MIGRANTS, AS WE SAID, ARE SET TO BE EVICTED FROM CITY SHELTERS BY FEBRUARY.

SECOND, INCLUDING.

>> AS MANY AS 700 CHILDREN, MANY OF WHOM ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 10.

WILL THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

>> SO REPORTERS, INCLUDING MYSELF TODAY PRESSED JOHNSON ABOUT WHETHER HE WOULD ISSUE ANOTHER REPRIEVE.

IF YOU REMEMBER THE ORIGINAL EVICTION DATE FOR MANY OF THESE MIGRANTS 2 WEEKS AGO, AMID THE BRUTALLY COLD WEATHER THAT WAS DELAYED, JOHNSON GAVE NO INDICATION HE WAS CONSIDERING A 3RD REPRISE.

BUT HE DID SAY THAT THIS WAS AN EVOLVING CRISIS AND THAT EVERYBODY WAS TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST TO ADDRESS IT.

HE DID ACKNOWLEDGE HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE CHILDREN WHO WERE EVICTED FROM CITY SHELTERS WITH NOWHERE TO GO COULD FIND THEIR ACADEMIC YEAR DISRUPTED.

THEY MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT SHELTER OR WAIT FOR A NEW GUIDE TO OPEN IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT WILL HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, THE CITY IS SET TO EVICT MORE THAN 6,000 MIGRANTS.

AND THAT COULD BE AS MANY AS 2000 CHILDREN.

AND HEATHER, OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR CONGRESS TO STEP IN AND SUPPORT THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE LOAD OF THE NEW ARRIVALS IS THAT SOME PLACE WHERE THE GOVERNOR AND THE MAYOR >> AGREE.

>> CERTAINLY THEY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STEP IN AND PUT THESE BILLS.

HOWEVER, WITH CONGRESS HOPELESSLY GRIDLOCKED MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE GOP CONTROLLED HOUSE AND RELUCTANCE AMONG SOME DEMOCRATS TO ADD MORE FUNDS TO CARE FOR THE MIGRANTS.

IT IS REALLY UNLIKELY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL STEP IN ANY TIME SOON.

EVEN AS SENATORS DURBIN AND TAMMY DUCKWORTH TODAY CALLED FOR EXACTLY THAT TO HAPPEN.

IT'S JUST NOT CLEAR WHETHER THAT WILL COME TO FRUITION.

AND IN OTHER NEWS, HEATHER, A CITY COUNCIL IS ALSO EXPECTED TO VOTE TODAY ON 2 PRETTY HIGH-PROFILE ISSUES CHANGES TO THE POLICE DISCIPLINE PROCESS.

>> AND RESTRICTIONS ON WHERE NEW DOLLAR STORES CAN WHAT HAPPENED AT TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

WELL, IN BOTH CASES, SUPPORTERS OF THOSE MEASURES BLOCKED A VOTE TODAY.

AND TYPICALLY WHEN YOU SEE THAT HAPPEN AT THE CITY COUNCIL, IT MEANS THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE VOTES.

NOW, THE CITY COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED NOW TO MEET AGAIN AND THE WEEK.

BOTH THE REGULATIONS FOR NEW DOLLAR STORES AND THE CHANGES TO THE POLICE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS COULD COME BACK THEN.

SO IT COULD BE ONLY A MINOR DELAY.

>> BUT IT IS AN INDICATION THAT BOTH ISSUES, ESPECIALLY THE CHANGES TO THE POLICE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS ARE INCREDIBLY CONTROVERSIAL.

AND THAT COULD TREAT THAT ISSUE IN PARTICULAR.

COULD COULD COULD COULD TRIGGER A HUGE LEGAL FIGHT THAT IS SET TO START PERHAPS EVEN BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETS AGAIN.

>> I'M SURE YOU'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT FOR US AND BRING THAT NEWS JUST WHAT HAPPENS.

OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE DOLLAR STORES IN CHICAGO JUST A LITTLE BIT.

HEATHER SHARON AT