CHICAGO, IL – Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is currently serving as a makeshift residence for hundreds of asylum-seekers, a move that is generating both concern and scrutiny.
Within Terminal 1’s shuttle bus center, individuals ranging from infants to seniors are sleeping on cardboard pads and using common airport facilities.
Facing a situation similar to cities like New York, Chicago has struggled to find permanent housing solutions for those seeking asylum. While some individuals have been transferred to shelters, plans are also underway to use tents as temporary accommodations.
The use of an airport terminal as housing, however, is a strategy not commonly adopted and reflects the city’s disjointed approach to this humanitarian issue.
Safety and public health have been cited as significant concerns. Vianney Marzullo, a volunteer at the airport, noted that the shuttle bus center was initially intended to be a “stop-and-go place.” The current conditions are raising questions about the well-being of individuals who are often already vulnerable due to the circumstances from which they are fleeing.
New York City is having similar problems as the federal government scrambles to find more shelter space for tens of thousands of migrants living in makeshift shelters across the city.