Migrants Living in Desperate Conditions at Chicago's O'Hare Airport Highlights Urgent Need for Solutions

Hundreds of migrants, ranging from babies to the elderly, have been living in a terminal at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, facing dire living conditions as the city struggles to keep up with the influx of asylum seekers. The migrants, who have been flown in over the past year, are being housed behind a heavy black curtain in a shuttle-bus terminal. They sleep on cardboard pads on the floor, share public bathrooms, and occasionally venture out from behind the curtain, dozing just feet away from passing travelers. A private company has been hired to monitor their movements. The use of the bustling transportation hub as a temporary shelter is unusual, as other cities have rejected the idea due to safety concerns.

Chicago has been facing difficulties in finding suitable housing for the growing number of asylum seekers. They are slowly moving people out of temporary spaces and into shelters and tents, similar to cities like New York. However, the makeshift shelter at O'Hare highlights the city's haphazard response to the crisis and raises concerns about safety and the treatment of those fleeing violence and poverty. Some of the migrants spend weeks at the terminal until they can be moved elsewhere, either to police stations, sheriff's offices, or shelters. The space is smaller than a city block and lacks proper medical care, which poses a public health risk. Chicago has been working to build more capacity to accommodate asylum seekers, adding 15 shelters with about 3,000 beds since May.

However, the city still heavily relies on volunteers to fill gaps in services. While migrants closer to downtown Chicago have access to a network of volunteers, those at O'Hare have limited access to food and clothing donations due to airport security concerns. The majority of the migrants arriving in Chicago over the past year are from Texas, sent north by Governor Greg Abbott. Many of them are from Venezuela, where a political, social, and economic crisis has pushed millions into poverty. At least 7.3 million Venezuelans have fled their country and risked a harrowing journey to the United States.

However, not all migrants are eligible for the recent temporary legal status and work permits offered by the Biden Administration. The situation at O'Hare reflects a nationwide struggle to house asylum seekers arriving by plane. Other cities, such as Boston's Logan International Airport and Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, have opposed using their airports as shelters due to lack of infrastructure and concerns about security, feeding, and educating the migrants.

Chicago officials acknowledge that using O'Hare as a shelter is not ideal but claim that they inherited the crisis and have been working to find long-term housing solutions. They are also calling for more support from the state and federal governments. Although the city is making efforts to improve the situation, the current conditions at O'Hare highlight the urgent need for a more comprehensive and effective response to the growing number of asylum seekers.