The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus meeting this week has been postponed due to cold weather.
The meeting initially was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the United Center. A new date hasn’t been announced, but officials said it would be rescheduled “as soon as possible.”
Leaders representing Chicago and towns in Cook County and the five collar counties were set to discuss the region’s current state of receiving and housing new asylum-seekers.
“With this convening, our goal is to share operational strategy and work towards a collective plan for coordination and advocacy for additional support. This collaboration is essential for maintaining a humane regional response,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.
Officials announced the meeting’s cancellation Monday, as the area remains under a wind chill warning until noon Tuesday and a wind chill advisory until 9 a.m. Wednesday. The wind chill in the city was around minus 30 degrees Monday and was expected to stay in that range Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
The in-person mayors caucus meeting will follow several virtual meetings in which administration officials and mayors have shared details of their respective plans and ordinances dealing with the recent influx of migrants — especially on unannounced bus drop-offs.
Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, said the next meeting is a “critical step” in finding cohesive plans among the region’s leaders.
“By working with state, county and local authorities throughout (northeastern) Illinois, mayors are demonstrating their agility and action-oriented approach to managing the unscheduled arrival of asylum-seekers in their respective communities,” Burns said. “Our collective efforts are rooted in providing safe, respectful and compassionate assistance for asylum seekers making their way to their final destination.”
About 200 buses carrying asylum-seekers have arrived across the Chicago area since Dec. 1.
Around 33,000 migrants have come to Chicago since August 2022. About 14,500 of them are currently living in city shelters, and about 300 were awaiting shelter placement as of Monday, the city said.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday sent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a sweeping letter about the ongoing migrant crisis, urging him to halt drop-offs during a dangerous winter storm.
“While action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves,” Pritzker said in the letter. “Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state.”
Responding to the letter, Abbott’s office on Friday said Texas will continue to send migrants until the president secures the border. His office also said migrants heading to Chicago signed a voluntary consent waiver and agreed upon the destination — and bus drivers were receiving weather updates and are taking additional safety precautions.
