*This article has been translated for better understanding
Chicagoans are getting ready to bundle up for the freezing, snowy weather as the temperature drops in Chicago. While a number of them have the adequate resources to handle these temperatures, newly migrant arrivals do not, especially those who live outside.
“I wait for the opportunity to be able to live in a shelter,” said Carlos Matos, a migrant living outside the Chicago 19th Police District. “A lot of us need it.”
With no clear resolution in sight for the migrant crisis, thousands of migrants are living outside the streets of Chicago. Currently, there are more than 2,800 migrants living outside police stations, and dozens outside the American Islamic College in Uptown.
“There’s a lot of people sleeping outside that are waiting to be told ‘We found you shelter,’” Matos said.
Matos has been living outside the Chicago 19th Police District for nine days with his friend Alexander Gusto, 30. They’ve been waiting to be sorted into a shelter, but, compared to other migrants, they are expected to wait longer because migrants with families are prioritized.
“I’ve been told that the temperature gets colder than what it is right now, so I hope we’re assigned a shelter before then,” Matos said.
With the recent freezing temperatures, the surrounding communities have been responsive to the migrants living outside. Neighbors have been bringing jackets, gloves and hats they no longer use.
“We understand that not everyone has money to support us,” Gusto said. “However, there are people that come with the best intentions to help us.”
In some instances, neighbors also bring food. The city has also been working with nonprofits, volunteers, and other groups to provide migrants with blankets, coats, and other crucial supplies.
“As a shelter, we’ve received a lot of calls from folks who were concerned about people outside of grocery stores asking for supplies and stuff,” said Elena Molise, the Director of Education and Community Services at the 46th Ward. “They are concerned about their well-being.”
The city has also stepped up their efforts. At night, the city sends out CTA warming buses outside 16 police stations. However, according to Matos, not many migrants use them.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has attempted to house migrants in winterized tents that can hold as many as 1,500 migrants, but there has been resistance within the communities. Recently, the city council couldn’t unite behind a plan that would have bought the vacant lot for $1 at 115th and Halsted Street, according to an article by CBS News.
The migrants remain hopeful that the city of Chicago will come to a resolution, but if they don’t, they know they can get through the winter.
“It’s not easy to start from zero in a country we’re not familiar with,” Matos said. “But we know that with the will of God we can do it.”
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