Originally published September 22, 2023 9:11 am PDT
The city of Chicago has finalized a contract exceeding $29 million with private security company Garda World to establish and oversee base camps aimed at sheltering migrants.
The arrangement specifies the establishment of at least six such sites throughout the city to accommodate asylum-seekers, according to a local ABC News report.
Each zone within the camps is designed to house between 200 and 1,400 individuals, and the contract encompasses provisions for bedding, food, and sanitation facilities.
Ald. Andre Vasquez, the chair of the city council’s Immigration and Refugee Rights Committee, voiced his disagreement with the decision, stating, “They are clearly in a crisis that they inherited prior to that we had an administration that didn’t tell us much of anything, so I do understand there are a lot of difficult decisions, I don’t agree with this one.”
Vasquez and several other council members were informed of the contract simultaneously with its media disclosure, raising concerns about transparency and the administration’s approach to informing the council about such significant developments.
He noted the challenges arising from learning about such contracts post-implementation, saying, “Finding out more about this stuff after rather than before makes it challenging for members to support in the long run.”
Concerns were further compounded by the alleged controversies involving Garda World Federal Services, especially relating to a contract in Florida for migrant relocation.
Vasquez highlighted potential conflict of interest issues, asserting, “If in effect we are sending funds to the same people that are busing people over, that presents what appears to be a clear conflict of interest.”
Several council members are pressing for clarity on the expenditure of funds, the locations of the base camps, and their subsequent utility or disposition after their immediate need is mitigated.
However, the Johnson administration has so far not provided satisfactory responses to these queries.
Ald. Ray Lopez from the 15th Ward raised concerns about the democratic process being sidelined, stating, “In the name of the humanitarian process we are forgoing all of democracy just to meet the moment and I think that sends us down a dangerous precedent.”
City council members, including Vasquez, have advocated for the allocation of the $29 million towards leasing or renovating existing structures to accommodate migrants, remarking, “Because at the end of those investments you end up with assets and something to show for it.”
The Mayor Johnson-led city administration has announced its priority to substitute police stations with shelters, selecting Garda World to construct and manage these shelters for newcomers due to its existing contract with the State of Illinois.
The arrangement is part of the disaster proclamation linked to the asylum-seeker mission and is intended to provide swift, temporary, and humane accommodations adhering to American Red Cross standards, with adequate heating and HVAC systems as the weather turns.
The city has clarified its stance, noting, “Using this contract enables the City to stand up the base camps expeditiously, and more quickly move new arrivals from Chicago Police Department district stations as the weather begins to change.”
