Chicago’s new police chief said the city’s use of police stations as temporary housing for the growing population of migrants seeking asylum has been a “burden” on the nation’s second-largest police department, The Associated Press reports. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said that among his main concerns is the toll the city’s approach has taken on officers’ well-being. “We were the first to open our doors to the migrants and they’re still coming. And we have not turned them away,” Snelling said. “But what we need are other people to step up in these situations because the burden has been on the police department to house people.” Some 3,000 new arrivals are sleeping at police stations with hundreds more at airports. More than 18,500 migrants have arrived in Chicago since Texas Gov. Greg Abbot began sending buses last year to so-called sanctuary cities, or largely Democrat-run places that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Some arrivals stay inside police station lobbies, many sleeping close together on cardboard and sharing bathrooms. Others congregate just outside the stations, sleeping on mattresses or in tents on the sidewalks and adjacent lots. Snelling worries about officers having to witness tough situations in the workplace, like seeing nursing or pregnant women sleeping on floors. “Those officers now have to go out and serve the public,” he said. “This could have a negative effect on our officers." City council members have argued that the $150 million set aside in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed budget isn’t nearly enough to address the issue. Some migrants have complained of their belongings being tossed out or gruff treatment from officers. Snelling said discarding items was a sanitation issue; stations need to be deep cleaned regularly with people living in close quarters, particularly after sickness. Snelling said that officers have been generous, buying books, toys, food, and winter coats for migrants. “I do worry about the wellness of officers who see these conditions every single day because they’re concerned human beings,” he said, adding that migrants “should be treated with the same respect that we expect our own family members to be treated with ... our officers are doing that.”