Sep 29

Sep 29 Migrants I

Chicago, Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

ciyu Hall’s The likely shutdown of the Federal Government in just over 24 hours has captured everyone’s attention. Of particular note is Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz’s feud with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which may be the primary reason for the shutdown. But over the long haul, the most explosive story in the headlines today is the continued onslaught of migrants from Venezuela crossing the southern border seeking asylum. Once immigration was largely the exclusive domain of Fox News, serving as the perfect wedge issue. Now, CNN delivers daily reports from the Texas-Mexico border, with Chicago’s media providing daily-headlining coverage of how the newly-arrived migrants are being incorporated into the Chicago community.

Any one person’s position as to whether the migrants should be permitted sanctuary and a new life in the United States is largely irrelevant. They keep coming, and as the mayors of Chicago, New York, and other northern cities have learned, the needs of the migrants are already placing an unprecedented burden on fiscally-strapped states and municipalities.

In Chicago, those who regularly read print media know all too well that Mayor Johnson’s ambitious plans to invest in neighborhoods that have suffered from disinvestment for decades have already run up against harsh fiscal realities. Over the last several weeks, I have seen various estimates of just how much it will cost to meet the needs of the migrants that Governor Abbott has bused to Chicago. WTTW is reporting that “approximately $200 million of the city’s projected budget deficit in 2024 of $538 million is due to the cost of caring for the migrants sent to Chicago.” NBC News 5 put the cost at $300 million by the end of 2023. Just a day ago, The Chicago Tribune reported that 27 buses carrying migrants had arrived in Chicago since last Saturday, pushing the total number of migrants above 15,000. Is the cost of caring for those new arrivals factored into the $200 million or $300 million numbers? And do these dollar figures take into account that Governor Abbott will likely increase his shipments of migrants to Chicago as the 2024 Democratic Convention comes into clearer view?

I am suspicious about all of the projections and estimates. Politicians naturally like to put a positive spin on bad news. Given City Hall’s historic lack of transparency, I have little doubt that we are not being told the true cost. I suspect we are being given estimates of the direct costs necessary to house and feed the newly arrived migrants. For example, the cost of a single meal multiplied by the number of migrants multiplied by three. But how is the cost of placing migrant children in the Chicago Public School system being determined, or the cost of reallocating police resources to cover locations where the migrants are being housed being determined. How are fixed or overhead costs being allocated when generating the estimates and projections? What about the lost productivity of those CPD employees working in police stations where migrants are sleeping on the floors?

This week Mayor Johnson signed a one-year contract with a subsidiary of GardaWorld Federal Services for $29.4 million to build tent encampments to house migrants that currently are housed in police stations and at the city’s two major airports. That contract has put Mayor Johnson at odds with some of his allies on Chicago’s City Council. Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, an African American, said, “Stop putting them in our community. What y’all doing is you’re going to start a race war. …This is going to be a race war because y’all choosing who you’re taking care of.” Alice Yin, Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson Loses Support of Some Allies Over Tent Encampment Plans for Migrants, Chicago Tribune, September 29, 2023. There is already at least one report of migrant children who attend Chicago’s public schools being attacked by other students. Throughout 2023, the newspapers have carried reports of community meetings where citizens complained that long-promised investments in their communities are being set aside to care for the newcomers, placing them at odds with the Johnson Administration.

Against that backdrop, I was not surprised to learn that a demonstration was planned for 4:00 PM today in Daley Plaza—within direct eyesight of City Hall—to protest the contract with GardaWorld Security for migrant encampments, and to demand humane conditions for the migrants. Like myself, the media turned out for the demonstration. Every member of the media I spoke with expected a much larger demonstration than materialized. The police apparently had similar expectations, as signaled by the number of officers on hand. By my count, there were 45 or so demonstrators present. It was hard to tell for sure because members of the media were intermingled with the demonstrators. One member of the media watched me counting heads, and then rushed over to ask how many were present.

I asked one of the organizers point blank, why the turnout was so low given how much attention the plight of the migrants and the City’s response has generated. He told me that more people would show up in a little while. Yes, some stragglers did show up, but not in large numbers. The organizer also noted that there was no nonprofit organization providing organizational support for the effort. At one point, someone told me that this was just a group of friends who decided to make a statement.

I spoke with a number of reporters and photographers who were irritated that this group had wasted their time. One told me that her organization has limited resources these days, and then she just walked away, presumably returning to the office to tell the assignment editor that the demonstration was a waste of time. Is this a case of the little boy who cried wolf? Next time—possibly when there are a lot more demonstrators present—will she or other members of the media show up?

I heard one television camera man tell the on-air reporter that he would go tight in framing the shot. He told me that there were so few people present that he would use a wide angle shot as the establishing shot, and then go tight.

This videographer faced the same ethical issue that I have previously encountered. Do you go for drama (a tight shot)? Or do you go for the truth (a wide shot)? Someone held a demonstration, and virtually no one showed up.

Without addressing the merits of the demonstrators’ grievances, the organizers sustained a needless self-inflicted wound today. No one should hold a demonstration pertaining to a major and controversial issue unless they can put numbers on the board. This demonstration was not ready for prime time. I can easily argue it hurt their cause. Had there been 2,000 demonstrators present, Mayor Johnson might have looked out his 5th floor window, and thought, “I need to rethink using GardaWorld and the tents.” Instead, he may well conclude, “No one really cares because no one showed up.”

As for the substance: One man with a black Covid mask did most of the speaking. His remarks were disjointed, but he basically focused on affordable housing as a right; the need to care for the migrants who in his words have done nothing wrong; the inappropriateness of the GardaWorld contract, particularly given their track record; and disappointment with Mayor Johnson, who ran as a Progressive. Three other people volunteered to speak, and they by and large echoed the first speaker’s sentiments.

I will offer one other observation: If former President Donald J. Trump defeats President Joseph R. Biden in 2024, the migrant issue will be a major, if not the primary, reason for the defeat. The Progressives are playing with political dynamite. When Mayor Johnson seeks a second term, he may well be trounced if he is unable to get the migrant issue and the associated costs under control. He repeatedly tells Chicago’s citizens that Chicago is a welcoming city. That rhetoric makes for a great soundbite, but if caring for the migrants hamstrings Johnson’s promises about mental health facilities, affordable housing, and better schools, he will follow in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s steps as a one-term mayor. As I said, the issues surrounding the migrants are political dynamite.

And finally, why is the article titled “Migrants I?” Simple. This will not be the last demonstration pertaining to the migrants. A few of the obvious questions about the next one include: (i) Will the same demonstrators show up, with more adherents to their position? (ii) Will people opposed to the migrants hold a demonstration? If so, will it be in Chicago, or in a suburban or rural area? (iii) Will groups who believe they are being shortchanged when it comes to social services hold demonstrations opposing aid to the migrants?

Stay tuned.

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