Asylum-seekers denounce treatment at Chicago shelter and deliver letter to mayor; alderman denies allegations
Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Brian CassellaMore
Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune
Wed, July 12, 2023 at 10:56 PM EDT·7 min read
CHICAGO — It took a lot for Maura Falcon, an asylum-seeker and mother, to speak up about the mistreatment and concerns that she says she has been experiencing at the makeshift shelter where she has been living since arriving in Chicago from Venezuela. Initially, she said, she was just grateful to have a place to sleep and warm food, but three months later, things have changed.
At the volunteer-run shelter in Pilsen, asylum-seekers were promised safety and help to settle in the city in early May. But efforts stagnated and the shelter is troubled, say some of the migrants living there.
On Wednesday morning, Falcon and a group of mostly migrant mothers went to City Hall and attempted to deliver a handwritten letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson, in which they detailed their concerns and living conditions. Those included prohibiting children from drinking bottled water and eating fresh food donations; forcing asylum-seekers, including a family, out of the shelter without a place to go after alleged rule violations; and failing to provide guidance to find permanent housing.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/asylum-seekers-denounce-treatment-chicago-025600138.html
