>> YOU'LL FIND MORE ON THAT BRUSH WITH CENTER REPORT ON OUR WEBSITE.

MORE THAN 19,000 MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO CHICAGO FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER IN THE LAST YEAR.

MORE THAN CURRENTLY SLEEPING AT POLICE STATIONS ACROSS THE CITY IN O'HARE AIRPORT.

THE ONGOING CRISIS HAS STRAIN CITY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, RESOURCES AS WELL AS FRUSTRATED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE LONG CALLED FOR ACCESS TO THOSE SAME RESOURCES.

A DELEGATION OF LOCAL LEADERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS RECENTLY VISITED THE BORDER AND SOMEWHERE HERE JOINING US TODAY TO SHARE THAT WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED.

THOSE ARE ALDERMAN WILLIAM HULL OF THE 6 WARD.

THOSE TAKING ACTING SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN LA MENOR MILLER, A PRO BONO MANAGER FOR THE NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER.

AND CHRISTINA PUSTULES.

I S THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S FIRST DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.

NOW ALDERMAN HOW TO MY UNDERSTANDING ALL OF YOU HAVE TOWARD TEXAS CITIES OF AN FASO SANANTONIO MCALLEN AND BROWNSVILLE, WHICH ARE POINTS OF DEPARTURE FOR PEOPLE TRAVELING TO CHICAGO.

WHAT IS A REALITY LIKE AT THE BORDER AT THE BORDER.

REALITY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL ACROSS THE WORLD SEEKING ASYLUM.

>> THEY COME INTO THIS REALITY IS THEY ARE GOING TO BASE CAMPS.

THERE ARE RAIN BY BORDER SECURITY, BORDER PATROL.

I'M SORRY.

HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE REALITY IS YOU HAVE TO WITH PARENTS THAT ARE JUST LEFT.

I DO TO PARENTS DINE-IN THE PLATE TO GET ASYLUM IN WHICH YOU ALSO SEES COMPASSION.

WE HAVE A EL PASO AND SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE EMBRACING OUR ASYLUM SEEKING BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND THEY GETTING ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND WHAT YOU SAW WAS A SHOCKING TO US.

ONE THING SEEING IT ON CAMERA, RIGHT?

AND THEN ACTUALLY SEEING IT IN PERSON.

IT WAS ONCE YOU LOOK INTO THE EYES OF A CHILD THAT NO LONGER WILL SEE THEIR PARENTS.

>> IT REALLY DOES SHOW TO YOUR HEART AND WHAT YOU ALSO SEE IS THE HEART OF THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO HELP.

AND SO, I MEAN, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT?

KEEPS ME MOTIVATED DOING TODAY?

MAKE SPACE FOR THOSE WHO ARE HERE ALREADY SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE END, THOSE WHO LIVE IN CHICAGO FROM SINCE WERE BORN.

>> EYES.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEIR TRIP THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE?

>> I THINK THE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THE MOST IS THAT THE OPERATION AT THE BORDER IS REALLY ABOUT PROCESSING PEOPLE.

MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT WORK, WHETHER IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THAT NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.

IT'S ABOUT MILLION.

IT'S ABOUT THIS.

IT IS THE FIRST STOP AND NOBODY IS THERE MORE THAN 24 TO 72 HOURS.

SO IT IS REALLY JUST ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE GET FROM THAT INITIAL POINT TO EITHER INTERMEDIARY, OUR FINAL DESTINATION, WHERE CHICAGO IS ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS AND THEREFORE OUR OPERATION IS A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF APPROACH BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ESSENTIALLY RESETTLEMENT, WHICH IS A LOT MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND RESOURCE INTENSIVE.

>> AND THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THAT I WANT TO ASK, WHAT CAN THE CITY ADMINISTRATION PUT INTO ACTION NOW?

>> SO WITH RESPECT TO WHAT WE GLEAN FROM THIS PARTICULAR IS NOT ON THE THAT OUR OPERATION IS DIFFERENT AND THAT THERE ISN'T ANCHOR COMMUNITY HERE THAT CAN BUFFER AND SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY.

WE HAVE TO JOIN FORCES WITH THE BORDER CITIES WITH THE BORDER STATES TO COME TOGETHER AND ADVOCATE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WITH RESPECT TO UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF FUNDING FORMULA THAT NEEDS TO BE APPLIED HERE.

THAT IS ULTIMATELY A FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY.

AND SO ON THE ADVOCACY TENT, WE ARE JOINING FORCES WITH THOSE CITIES ON THE BORDER AS WELL AS INTO CITIES TO LIFT UP THE FACT THAT THE INVESTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE HAVE TO BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED.

WE ARE HEARTENED TO HEAR THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS PROPOSING 1.4 BILLION DOLLARS FOR STATES AND CITIES FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK.

BUT WE NEEDED TO BE CLOSER TO 5 TO 10 BILLION DOLLARS WITH RESPECT TO HOW WE'RE WELCOMING PEOPLE.

WE'RE CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE INITIALLY ALL WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO AND THAT IS TO REESE AT ALL TO HELP PEOPLE GET ON TO A PASS OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY, SELF-DETERMINATION AND SELF OKAY.

KEEP I WANT TO GO TO CHICAGO OFFICIALS INCLUDING MAYOR JOHNSON HAVE CONTINUED TO CALL THE STATE FOR SUPPORT.

EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SAID THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE CITY THROUGH THE CRISIS.

WHAT MORE CAN THE STATE DO?

>> SO WE ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY CLOSE, SEEM VERY CLOSE A WORKING PORT.

AN AD WITH THE CITY ARE ON THE PROPER OUNCE HERBICIDES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE RESPONDING TO THIS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

THIS IS SUCH UNFORTUNATE CRISIS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO RESPOND.

WE'RE DOING THE WE CAN WITH THE LIMITED WAS.

AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY AND IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE THIS LEVEL OF HUMAN TAKE CRISIS FAMILIES, CHILDREN, INDIVIDUALS SEEKING ASYLUM.

>> ALL THE MEN.

WHAT DOES THE BORDER HAVE?

THE CHICAGO DOESN'T ORDER TO HANDLE THE CRISIS?

WHAT WHAT THEY HAVE AT THE BORDER.

LET'S START WITH EL PASO, RIGHT.

THEY'VE DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

THIS CITY IS UNDER EMERGENCY DECLARATION.

IT'S GOTTEN YEAR-OLD WASHINGTON, D.C., THERE'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ALLOW THEM TO DO THIS OPERATION.

TALKING TO THE MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO.

SAME THING, KILLINGS OVERNIGHT.

ACTION.

ONE SIMPLE QUESTION.

HOW ARE YOU ABLE FOR IT?

EVEN THOUGH SAN ANTONIO'S AN INTERIOR CITY EL PASO'S ABOARD A CITY, THE GOVERNMENT FUNDS THEIR OPERATIONS TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO CHICAGO, TO GO TO COURT.

ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.

BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAS YIELDED OPENED UP THE CHECKBOOK FOR THEM TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK AND THEN TO SEE CHICAGO IS USING EVERYTHING THAT HE CAN.

AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE.

BUT IT'S IT'S IT'S A DIFFERENT.

IS IT ADEQUATE FUNDING EQUATION?

AND WHAT WE NEED IS AN INVESTMENT IN HUMAN LIFE.

INVESTMENT CHICAGO IN THE END.

WE ALSO NEED THE PRESIDENT, THE UNITED STATES TO FOLLOW THROUGH PLEDGING DOES NOT MATTER.

WE DON'T NEED TO PLAY WHEN HE PROMISES MADE PROMISES FOR FIELDS.

NOT TO MENTION ALL THE MONEY ALSO BEING SPENT FOR PEOPLE'S POCKETS.

JUST 2 PEOPLE ARE VOLUNTEERING.

ELLEN, I WANT TO GO TO A RECENT POST ABOUT THE TRIP YOU WROTE.

>> CHICAGO IS NOT ONLY A WELCOMING CITY FOR MIGRANTS BUT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE HOPE TO RESETTLE IN BILL LIVES WITH DIGNITY AND SECURITY.

AFTER TOURING THE BORDER, ARE THERE INITIATIVES THAT CAN POSSIBLY WORK HERE IN CHICAGO?

OF COURSE.

AND WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT.

SO WITH THE CITY AND THE STATE AND WITH OTHER LEGAL PARTNERS, NONPROFIT SERVICES, NONPROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS >> WE ARE PROVIDING RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE ASYLUM PRO SE ASYLUM CLINICS HELPING US ASYLUM SEEKERS.

WE STARTED THAT WITH PRO BONO COUNSEL, THE CITY.

WE HAVE A FABULOUS PROVIDER NETWORK HERE, VERY ACTIVE IN EAGAR.

THE CITY AND THE STATE AND OTHER LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER ARE WORKSHOPS FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS AND FOR PEOPLE TO GET THEIR WORK AUTHORIZATIONS WERE GRATEFUL THAT USPS HAS OFFERED ALSO COMING, FACILITATE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROCESS BLUES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND WE HOPE ALSO WILL CONTINUE THAT EFFORT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUE WITH ASYLUM SEEKERS.

WE ALSO SAW, THOUGH, ON THE BORDER IS IS THAT THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT LEGAL POSTURES THAT PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND THE BORDER PATROL AND DHS DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS DISCRETION TO RELEASE PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS WHEN THEY CAN REALLY WITH PAROLE.

PAROLE GRANTS, WORK AUTHORIZATION RIGHT NOW, THOUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT ISSUING PAROLE.

THEY'RE NOT GETTING WORK AUTHORIZATION WHEN THEY COME HERE.

THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO THAT TO FACILITATE THAT.

AND OUR INTERNAL EFFORTS.

SO YES, LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH THE CITY AND THE STATE AND NONPROFITS ARE PROVIDING ASYLUM WORKSHOPS WERE PROVIDING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS WORKSHOPS, WORK AUTHORIZATION.

AND ALSO WE'RE NEXT WEEK.

WE'RE GOING TO KICK OFF SOMETHING THAT'S COMPANY MADE BEST OF ARE FIRST STEPS, CLINICS WHICH LOOKING GET BASIC ORIENTATION FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR CHANGE COURT VENUES AND REALLY JUST ORIENTING THE PEOPLE TO WHERE ARE THEY?

WHERE ARE THEY IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT RIGHTS DO THEY HAVE?

I WOULD JUST SAY AND I THINK MY COLLEAGUES SAID THIS AND THEY KNOW THIS TOO.

SEEKING ASYLUM IS A RIGHT.

PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO SEEK ASYLUM AND TO BE HERE SAFELY WITH DIGNITY.

AND IT'S ALSO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY.

2 TO OPEN AN AVENUE THAT IS AND EFFICIENT FOR THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS.

IT IS OTHER GOVERNMENTS AND OUR CIVIL SOCIETIES OBLIGATION TO RECEIVE THESE PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY, SECURITY RESPECT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE INTEGRATED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THE COMMUNITY SAID ALSO HAVE A LONG RICH HISTORY OF MIGRATION, SO TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER.

HERE WE ARE, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS A LOT OF POINTING FINGERS RIGHT?

AND ALDERMAN HA, I WANT TO GO TO YOU.

YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY RIGHT NOW?

THE CALLS FOR FED?

WHAT FEDERAL SUPPORT?

LOOK LIKE WE NEED A COMMON SENSE BORDER POLICY WITH WITHOUT COMMON SENSE BORDER POLICY.

>> WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THE CHAOS AND FRUSTRATION AT THE BORDER.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CROSSING THE BORDER DAILY.

AND SO AGAIN, WITHOUT A COMMON SENSE BORDER POLICY, WITHOUT THE PROCESS BEING OUTLINED WITHOUT LAWYERS TO SECURE THE RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO ARE CROSSING THE BORDER.

THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE WHICH THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS TAKING ON THIS WITH BIG SHOULDERS.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF CONGRESS DOES NOT THIS CAN TURN EVEN MORE CHAOS.

AND WITHOUT THE ABSENCE OF FUNDING, LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS.

THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

NUMBER ONE, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A BUDGET SEASON.

OUR MAYOR HAS PUT FORTH OPENING UP MENTAL CLINICS.

CHECK.

OUR MAYOR HAS PUT FORTH MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE JOBS.

YOU ROUND ARMY LOOKING TO BRING HOME CHICAGO WHERE EVERYBODY WHO CAR CROSSES THE BORDER CROSSES INTO CHICAGO HAS A PLACE LIVE TO, HAVE JOBS MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS.

BUT WITHOUT FEDERAL FUNDING HE'S PUTTING IN JEOPARDY THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO GET DONE HERE IN OUR CNN, THAT FEDERAL FUNDING IS REALLY NECESSARY.

>> NOW, BUT SOON AS I AS I WANT TO GO TO YOU NOW, HOW WILL THIS INFORMATION YOU GATHER BE USED AT THIS POINT MOVING FORWARD IS THERE BEING PREPARED?

>> WE HAVE A BRIEFING GETTING TO THE MAYOR, BUT ULTIMATELY THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TRANSLATING INTO ACTION.

THAT WAS ALSO THAT WAS OUR GOAL, RIGHT?

WE WANT TO GO TO THE SOURCE WE HAD TO SEE FOR OURSELVES THE PROCESS BY WHICH PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO CHICAGO.

WE CAN'T ULTIMATELY UNDERSTAND AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN'T SEE FIRST HAND, BUT ALSO TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH BORDER CITIES SO WE CAN HAVE TIGHTER COORDINATION.

YOU KNOW, I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE IN PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS AND WE HAD ONLY BEEN RECEIVING MANIFESTS FOR ABOUT A 3RD OF THE BUSES THAT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR PLANNING AND UNDERMINES OUR ABILITY TO FORECAST FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE SHELTER WE NEED AND WHAT TYPE OF RESOURCES WE CAN WRAP AROUND PEOPLE NOW THAT WE FORGE THESE RELATIONSHIPS, WE'RE GETTING MORE MANIFESTS.

THEY HAVE OFFERED US THEIR PLAYBOOK FOR THEIR MULTI AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO BE STANDING UP SOON AGAIN SO THAT WE CAN HAVE TIGHTER, EFFICIENT PROCESSING AND GETTING PEOPLE ON PATHWAY TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY.