A proposed shelter at a park in the Galewood neighborhood in Austin was put on hold Monday after residents voiced strong concerns about the city’s decision to house hundreds of migrants there.
Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th, said the proposed shelter at the Amundsen Park field house in Galewood was “fundamentally wrong” and that the decision by Mayor Brandon Johnson — who lives in the Austin neighborhood — to delay the move-in of asylum-seekers shows his commitment to listening and responding to the concerns of Chicagoans.
“There have been six other parks that have closed, but none have been more passionate about keeping their park open than the Austin community,” he said.
Taliaferro said the city is exploring an alternate site at 1900 N. Austin Ave.
As cold weather rapidly approaches, more wards are being asked to help house the more than 18,000 asylum-seekers who have arrived in the city since last fall. Hundreds are arriving every day on buses sent from the southern border. Many come to the sanctuary city from Venezuela, fleeing economic or political turmoil in their country of origin.
The opposition to the shelter is just the latest from neighborhoods around the city that have pushed back against shelters opening in field houses, community gathering sites and empty warehouses.
[ Backlash to arriving migrants grows in Latino community as new shelter opens in Pilsen ]
Taliaferro said residents were left out of the planning process. They have been protesting every day, holding news conferences and overnight sit-ins.
“I certainly thank them for their outcry. I thank them for their passion,” he said. “This park means the world to them.”
On Monday, residents held a protest to demonstrate their opposition to a shelter at Amundsen Park. Angelica Green, a member of the 25th Police District Council, said she objected to the plan out of worry for the current residents who use the park.
“My main concern was that the children who use that park frequently would be displaced and the seniors wouldn’t have places to go, and the single moms and parents who use that place as a resource (would lose the park),” she said.
Green said she was not anti-migrant.
“I want them to have a safe space as well,” she said. “I’m concerned about them, their children, their well-being, but I don’t want to compromise (on) well-being of others.”
Deondre’ Rutues, a member of the 15th Police District Council, said he has visited migrants staying at local police stations and planned to continue helping new arrivals with essentials like food, clothes and hygiene supplies through local aid networks. But he is concerned that asylum-seekers staying in the area will divert law enforcement resources from current residents who need help.
“If you place so many individuals with a steep learning curve toward our culture, our language, you’re going to have to police them in a different way,” he said. “It’s going to put a strain on the police resources but also on us (as district council members).”
Rutues said he wants to see “a clear and concise plan of action so we can help” and said such a plan would likely emerge from joint efforts among city, county, state and federal bodies: “This is everybody’s issue.”
In Ukrainian Village, the city is moving forward with plans to house migrants in an industrial two-story building with two bathrooms at 526 N. Western Ave.
A community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Chopin Elementary at 2450 W. Rice St. to discuss plans with the city, said Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, whose ward encompasses the proposed shelter site. Villegas said the building needs major renovations to house the number of people the city plans to put inside.
“Right now we continue to put bandages on something,” he said.
Villegas said he has public safety concerns, and hopes the city will invest in wraparound services. He’d heard about the strong community response in the 29th Ward and the decision to halt plans there.
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“The community stepped up and said they didn’t want that,” he said. “So is that the key? Just get loud and we will move it? If that’s the case, I will let my community know they need to get loud about this whole situation here.”
The neighborhood has in the past rallied to support Ukrainians seeking refuge, but Villegas said the wave of migrants on buses is different.
“You have an infrastructure that’s already in place here for the Ukrainian community,” he said. “There’s been Ukrainians in this community for over 100 years. There’s already a network in place, so it’s a lot easier for them to assimilate here.”
The community really stepped up to support them, Villegas said.
There are now over 10,000 migrants staying in city-run shelters and over 3,000 awaiting placement in police stations or at O’Hare International Airport. There isn’t a large established Venezuelan community in Chicago.