From 2022 to January of this year, more than 43,000 asylum seekers arrived to Chicago from southern border states amid the surge in migrant crisis in the United States. During the first stages and as figures soared, city officials devised a housing plan, which resulted in new arrivals being housed in hotels, police stations, and various other temporary shelters.
Arrivals continued to grow after Texas authorities began to be bused from Texas as part of governor Abbott's Operation Lone Star, which targeted Democratic-led sanctuary cities. The influx strained Chicago's resources, leading to migrants sleeping in makeshift locations until shelters were established.
