Checkpoint: Migrant Crisis Emphasizes Existing Inequality
Jimmy Darnell - NBC Chicago
Background
Chicago has long been a dynamic epicenter of immigration, welcoming asylum-seekers from all corners of the globe looking for new opportunities and a better life. However, while the Windy City's vibrant tapestry of cultures and ethnicities reflects its nature as a sanctuary city, Chicago struggles with challenges related to a recent influx of people. In the past few years, the city has faced an immigration emergency that raises questions about integration, opportunity, and justice for underserved communities already residing there. Significant concerns about these immigrants include the undocumented status of a large portion of the population, their congested or unsafe living conditions, and possible decreased quality of life. Furthermore, immigrants often encounter language barriers, educational disparities, and difficulty finding employment that matches their qualifications. A problem that has become consequential for some native Chicagoans is that immigrant communities often have no choice but to reside in overcrowded, underprivileged neighborhoods that already suffer from poverty and lack social services.
Southwest Land Border Encounters By Month
Systemic Situations: Black Struggles In Chicago
In the early 20th century, the Great Migration led many black Americans fleeing racial violence in the South to Chicago; like present-day migrants, they also sought economic prospects and increased quality of life. Racially motivated covenants and redlining, which confined black people to specific neighborhoods, resulted in financial inconsistencies and limited prospects for upward mobility. The legacy of segregation and discriminatory housing practices––– high violence and crime in black neighborhoods, educational and healthcare discrepancies, unemployment and underemployment rates, and unfair criminal justice procedures–––continue to affect black communities despite progressive efforts. Lack of affordable housing and overcrowding remain persistent issues, contributing to high rates of homelessness and housing instability. Black Chicagoans are disproportionately affected by multifaceted challenges rooted in historical injustices and contemporary disparities, suffering the most at the hands of the crisis and unfairly disadvantaged by the city's overcapacity.
"We are [...] outraged with [...] our elected officials' blatant disregard to the local crisis black families and children are facing now in our city. It is disingenuous and highly disrespectful to come into neighborhoods that have suffered decades of disinvestment, redlining, poverty, and violence [and take] resources away only to give it to another group of people [...]."
– Natasha Dunn, Plaintiff
Welfare Concerns: Behind The Lawsuit
For this reason, a group of South Shore residents have filed a lawsuit against the city, attempting to staunch the flow of immigrants into the city and their subsequent placement in public buildings in their neighborhoods. While the social safety net could mitigate the economic challenges posed by immigration, proponents of the lawsuit argue that immigration strains the welfare programs and public resources for people already living in Chicago. The economic impacts of the United States' poor welfare system are already a significant problem in said communities, which they feel has been exacerbated by the recent decisions of their political representative.
The constituents of these predominantly black neighborhoods believe that welfare programs could help tackle income inequality and provide essential services to needy families if they receive the funding and support their taxes pay for. They also contend that low-skilled or undocumented immigrants rely too much on government services, creating financial burdens for or leeching the benefits from underfunded black communities. The goal of the South Shore residents, including other Chicagoans from other vicinities such as Woodlawn, is to protect their children from the adverse effects of rescinded funding for public schools, parks, and other buildings local kids use for extracurricular activities, such as football and cheerleading. Unfortunately, resource competition, inappropriate housing, educational issues, and crime and safety concerns pit immigrants and black citizens against each other.
"The bottom line is this: [...] our number one interest is this community. It is [...] the safety of our community, it is protecting the legacy of those who came before us in this community, and it is to make [South Shore] High School a community high school. [This is] so that our kids are safe, our parents are not [overwhelmed traveling] out of the community, it is to provide families time together [...]."
– Jimmy Darnell, Plaintiff
Particulars: Goals Of The Lawsuit
Initially filed in May of this year, Natasha Dunn, Jimmy Darnell Jones, and other South Shore residents pursued more expansive goals on the 26 of September. The first lawsuit highlighted zoning ordinance violations and unfulfilled promises made by Chicago to allocate former community buildings and schools for use by the Chicago police and fire departments. Most important in the most recent case is residents' access to their neighborhood's existing high schools and an audit on how Chicago representatives have spent their tax money. Outraged at their government's blatant disregard for their problems, the black community is using the immigration crisis as a jumping-off point to demand attention from the city. Outraged citizens assert that their representatives habitually ignore the systemic problems black Chicagoans face daily but devote time and resources to migrants fleeing other countries.
However, the plaintiffs in the case have emphasized that their issue is not with the immigrants themselves, that they sympathize with a group of people who face similar struggles, but rather with how Chicago is handling their arrival. Moreover, they claim the unsanitary and inhumane conditions in which the government has housed the immigrants deeply concern the community as the famously cold Chicago winter draws closer. Many individuals and families are homeless, living in tents on the streets or the floors of police stations and schools. At its core, the lawsuit is a matter of long-deserved rights for Chicago's black working class and genuine efforts made by their representatives for social and economic equality.
"The first thing that this lawsuit is about is for South Shore High School to reopen as a high school for this community. [...] The second thing is […] this community and these plaintiffs also care about the migrants themselves [...]. There needs to be an audit now […] and [...] a commensurate investment into long-term residents, including immigrants [...]."
– Frank Avila, Prosecutor
Summary
Other challenges remain as South Shore residents advocate for constructive responses to their objections. The desperate need for affordable lodging, better employment opportunities, and improved safety in underprivileged areas continues. Sweeping immigration reform at the federal level could relieve many of these challenges by providing a straightforward course to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and fostering their social and economic integration in sanctuary cities. Acknowledging and managing this crisis is vital to creating a more equitable and inclusive Chicago, where the possibilities and benefits of the city are accessible to all, regardless of race. With coordinated efforts, the Chicago government can help the Windy City deserve its name as a welcoming and prosperous metropolis for everyone.
"We are here today in the name of democracy, justice, and morality. [...] We're here today because us taxpayers are stuck with bills that we did not cosign for. [...] We're here today because generations of historically marginalized communities who have pleaded for asylum for ourselves have been ignored. [...] We're here today with this lawsuit because we must finally force the people that are supposed to represent us for once to operate in our best interest.
– Tanesha Peeples, Resident
