Nubia Willman: How we can ensure Chicago remains a welcoming city for displaced people

“A bus left Texas 12 hours ago.” I received this message on Aug. 30 from a colleague sounding the alarm that Chicago was hours away from receiving people bused by the state of Texas.

As director of the Office of New Americans who sat in the mayor’s office, I led the city’s immigration policy. That day, local government and community leaders activated plans tentatively set just a few weeks earlier, plans crafted with the caveat of not knowing when or if Texas would ever send a bus. By activating that response plan, a massive government operation sprung to life — one that required not just shelter but also staffing, food, medical care, legal support, donation coordination and intragovernmental collaboration.

Over the next eight months, the city fine-tuned this operation as buses continued to arrive in Chicago, sometimes five a day. Each bus has been filled with people in desperate need of help. As we near the one-year anniversary of an ongoing, multimillion-dollar operation, it is necessary to identify the bold action that must be taken to ensure Chicago remains a welcoming city. This is the moment to create a long-term, sustainable resettlement infrastructure that supports newly arrived people who are displaced, regardless of their background.

Initially, the city’s emergency response focused on providing temporary shelter and necessities. City staffers from all departments volunteered to conduct intakes and welcome people at Union Station, and they worked until early morning hours at city shelters. Community organizations and civic leaders also stepped up, collecting donations, providing emergency resources and advocating for new arrivals. The question from community leaders and city workers was never “Why are we doing this?” but “How can we do this?” How can we deliver resources and support new arrivals with dignity and respect? The vast majority of those leaders remain with the city, continuing this difficult work.

As people continued to arrive, it became apparent that to stabilize the operation, resettlement support, which allows people to leave the shelters and be self-sufficient, had to be part of the equation. Generally, city governments do not play a role in resettlement. When someone is federally classified as a refugee, they enter the country connected to a sponsor or agency that provides support, such as housing assistance and cultural acclimation. Chicago has many wonderful resettlement agencies, but their work is limited by federal funding restrictions.

More commonly, displaced immigrants who arrive without refugee status are left to figure out how to survive, dependent on whatever network of support they can create, with a lucky few potentially accessing some resources. The traditional resettlement support local government provides is passive, compounding an immigrant experience that is difficult and unsafe.

One may then ask: How is it we are a welcoming city? Since Mayor Harold Washington, Chicago’s welcoming approach has focused on protecting residents from federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Lori Lightfoot expanded that work through the Office of New Americans, which was established by Rahm Emanuel’s administration. The office focuses on making city services, policies and resources accessible to residents; it partnered with community advocates to create the Welcoming City Ordinance, which prohibits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

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However, the influx of buses demanded that our city government be innovative. As part of the initial operation, the city implemented a 30-day stay at the shelter and, in coordination with local community partners and the state, provided short-term rental assistance and legal support. These resources are evidence that local governments can play a part in resettlement efforts to stabilize new arrivals. To create a long-term and successful operation, government officials, including at the state and federal level, must collaborate with community leaders to build a bold, forward-thinking infrastructure that supports people who are newly arrived in the city because of displacement.

This infrastructure should stabilize new arrivals quickly by providing short-term respite care and basic resources to allow people to begin their new lives, and it should be attuned to their diverse needs.

Creating this infrastructure is especially urgent as climate change, an underlying factor causing migration to the southern border, continues to worsen. Whether we act or not, Chicago will feel the impact of residents from other countries and residents of U.S. coastal cities and border towns seeking help and safety. It benefits everyone to prepare. The city’s initial new arrival operation provides a blueprint that can be expanded, resourced and repurposed into a long-term strategy to welcome and support displaced people of all backgrounds.

If Chicago officials act now, they will guarantee that our city remains a welcoming one. I urge fellow residents and local leaders to follow the example of the Chicago leaders that fateful August day.

Rather than questioning why we should proactively prepare to help displaced people, let us ask how we can create a system that embraces everyone with dignity and respect.

Nubia Willman is the former chief engagement officer and director of the Office of New Americans for Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

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