Volunteers helping migrants frustrated with lack of help from Chicago officials
CHICAGO (CBS) - Who's in charge?
That's what many volunteer groups tasked with helping migrants are asking, as the numbers of new arrivals soar, the groups are overwhelmed and stretched thin.
On Thursday, at least 11 more buses are expected to arrive in Chicago.
What these groups now want is a seat at the table to help the city find a solution to this crisis. The families on board will join the nearly 3,200 migrants waiting for housing and many of them are staying at Chicago police districts.
CBS 2's Andrew Ramos reports from the 8th District where the numbers are growing at an alarming rate.
Chaotic and unorganized.
It's how one volunteer group described the situation here on the ground Wednesday night as 35 migrants arrived at District 8 with no warning.
It's just one of the many scenarios unfolding at police stations citywide where communication with the city, according to volunteers, is nonexistent.
"If I expect anything in a moment of chaos, I expect communication, especially from government."
Jaime Groth Searle - is a one-woman assembly line, putting together care packages for arriving migrants being placed at police districts on the South Side.
From the essentials to homemade pamphlets outlining resources available, to migrants on the ground.
"You know things like knowing your rights, what to expect from the process."
Her non-profit, the Southwest Collective, saddled with a job that has become grueling in recent weeks
"This is a very simple thing to do. Let people know where to go to the doctor. Let people know about their rights and just make sure that they have the bare necessities," she said.
The frustration fueled by the lack of communication from the city is one that is growing for many volunteer groups on the ground doing the work as they welcome migrants at police districts.
Work, they said, the city should be doing.
On Wednesday, just as volunteers with the group the Police Station Response Team had assisted in the transport of several families at Police District 8 to temporary shelters, they were blind-sighted by dozens of new arrivals.
"It's not fair that we are expected to step up and do the work without getting given any sort of announcement that we need to be ready," said Erika Villegas of the Police Station Response Team.
To make matters worse, the migrants hadn't eaten for hours, leading one volunteer to drive over to a local Burger King, spending hundreds of dollars of his own money on meals.
"When they are sent here from Texas, many of the times, they don't have food the entire way," Villegas said.
Since August of last year, more than 17,000 migrants have been bused into Chicago.
With 14 buses arriving Wednesday and at least 11 arriving Thursday, the city is on track to surpass last week's record of 27 buses by double digits.
Volunteers say if this trend continues and coordination with the city remains stagnant, winter is going to serve up chaos.
"We are going to have families sleeping out in parks, in the streets because right now that's what's happening," Villegas said.
This week, Mayor Brandon Johnson was asked about making the relationship between the city and these groups more equitable. He would only say that he appreciates the work that they are doing on the ground.
If you want to help with the migrant crisis and find out which donations are needed the most and where to drop them off, check out this link to find more information.
