>>> ONE YEAR AGO TODAY THE FIRST BUS SENT TO CHICAGO BY TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT ROLLED INTO CHICAGO'S UNION STATION CARRYING 75 ASYLUM SEEKERS.

A YEAR LATER, MORE THAN 13,000 MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN HAVE ARRIVED, STRAINING THE CITY'S SOCIAL SAFETY NET AND AT TIMES EXACERBATING TENSION BETWEEN CHICAGO'S BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES.

WTTW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER CHERONE JOINS US NOW WITH A LOOK AT HOW THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS CURRENTLY FACING THE CITY DEVELOPED AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW.

HEATHER, TAKE US BACK TO AUGUST 31st OF LAST YEAR.

HOW DID THIS ALL BEGIN?

>> Reporter: WELL, IT BEGAN WITH A BUS OF NEARLY 75 PEOPLE WHO ROLLED INTO UNION STATION WITH REALLY NOT MUCH MORE THAN THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACK AND MAYBE A FEW PRECIOUS BELONGINGS.

THEY ARRIVED OVERNIGHT WITH NO WARNING TO CITY OFFICIALS, SENDING THEM SCRAMBLING TO TRY TO FIND SOME PLACE FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO STAY AND FEARING THAT IT WAS THE START OF A VERY BIG PROBLEM.

NOW, THIS WAS PART OF A STRATEGY BY TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT TO EMBARRASS MAYORS OF DEMOCRATIC CITIES WHERE IMMIGRANTS ARE PROTECTED FROM FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS AND TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY'S IMMIGRATION RULES.

>> NOW, THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS SOMEWHAT RECEDED FROM VIEW WHEN THE COLD WEATHER SET IN, ONLY TO REEMERGE AS A FULL BROWN HUMANITARIAN CRUNCH IN APRIL.

HOW DID CITY OFFICIALS RESPOND?

>> Reporter: THEY RESPONDED REALLY WITH PANIC AND SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS TO WHAT HAS PROVEN TO BE A LONG-TERM CRISIS.

WHEN THOSE SECOND WAVE OF MIGRANTS ARRIVED, THE CITY SHELTERS WERE STILL FULL FROM PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED BEFORE THE COLD WEATHER SET IN, WHICH MEANT WHEN THOSE NEW ARRIVALS CAME, THE CITY HAD NOWHERE TO PUT THEM.

THAT STARTED THE PROCESS OF SENDING THESE PEOPLE TO POLICE STATIONS WHERE THEY WERE FORCED TO LIVE ON FLOORS WITHOUT BEDS, SHOWERS, OR ANY SORT OF FACILITY TO GET FOOD AND TO BE SEEN AND TAKEN CARE OF MEDICALLY.

NOW, DAYS BEFORE SHE LEFT OFFICE, MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY UP TO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON TO COPE WITH THE REST AND IT VERY QUICKLY WHAT WAS A PROBLEM TURNED INTO A VERY, VERY SERIOUS CRISIS.

>> YEAH, CERTAINLY A CRISIS I THINK MANY OF US HAVE SEEN IF YOU PASS BY ANY POLICE STATIONS IN TOWN.

YOU MENTIONED MAYOR JOHNSON.

HE TOOK OFFICE ON MAY THE 15th.

HOW HAS HIS APPROACH DIFFERED FROM THE FORMER MAYOR?

>> Reporter: WELL, HE HAS TAKEN A MUCH LESS COMBATIVE APPROACH TO NOT JUST TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT BUT FELLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE IN ILLINOIS.

HE AND GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER HAVE TAKEN GREAT PAINS TO SHOW THE NEWS MEDIA THAT THEY ARE ON THE SAME PAGE, THAT THEY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS.

THE PROBLEM IS IS THAT EVEN AS THE STATE HAS SPENT $250 MILLION CARING FOR THE MIGRANTS AND THE CITY ANOTHER $100 MILLION, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS REALLY YET TO STEP UP TO HELP EITHER GOVERNMENT CARE FOR THESE MIGRANTS, AND THAT IS WHAT PART PART OF WHAT HAS CREATED POLITICAL PROBLEMS.

>> A UNIFIED FRONT IN A WAY WE DIDN'T SEE IN THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.

BREAK IT DOWN FOR US, HOW MANY ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE STILL AWAITING SHELTER.

>> Reporter: THERE ARE MORE THAN 6,700 PEOPLE LIVING IN CHICAGO SHELTERS, AND THAT INCLUDES TEN NEW SHELTERS OPENED BY BRANDON JOHNSON SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE.

BUT STILL MORE THAN 2,000 MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN ARE LIVING OUT OF CHICAGO'S POLICE STATIONS AND CHICAGO'S O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

AND THAT HAS INCREASED NEARLY 60% IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS AS MORE BUSES, MANY WITH AS MANY AS 50 PEOPLE ON BOARD, ARRIVE EVERY DAY IN CHICAGO.

>> IS THERE ANY RELIEF IN SIGHT FOR THOSE FOLKS LIVING IN POLICE STATIONS AND AT THE AIRPORT?

WHERE DOES THIS GO NEXT?

>> Reporter: WELL, JOHNSON IS WORKING TO OPEN EVEN MORE SHELTERS, INCLUDING AT A FORMER MARINE CORPS BASE ALONG THE CHICAGO RIVER IN NORTH PARK.

THE CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO AGREE TO SPEND $1.5 MILLION TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.

AND IN ABOUT A MONTH, IT COULD HOUSE AS MANY AS 550 PEOPLE.

HOWEVER, THE CITY NEEDS LOTS MORE SHELTERS AND A PROPOSAL TO OPEN A SHELTER AT A HYDE PARK HOTEL DREW CONDEMNATION AND PROTESTS THIS WEEK AS RESIDENTS OF HYDE PARK SAID THEY WEREN'T CONSULTED ABOUT THE PLAN AND ARE CONCERNED THAT THE SHELTER WILL ATTRACT CRIME AND OTHER NUISANCES.

>> CERTAINLY A LOT OF HEATED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS OVER THE PAST YEAR.

HEATHER CHERONE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANKS, NICK.