Chicago's Controversial Choice: Unveiling Details and Costs of Migrant Tent Cities

Chicago officials have released new details about the migrant tent cities that will be set up in the city, with a price tag of $29.4 million. Each tent will accommodate 12 cots and include restrooms, while other tents will have amenities such as kitchens, showers, and laundry machines. The city has contracted private security firm Garda-World Federal Services to build and operate the shelters, citing expediency and the existing statewide master contract with the State of Illinois. The base camps will provide temporary shelter and resources for new arrivals, with a focus on safety, cost savings, and accelerating resettlement. Chicago continues to receive new migrant arrivals from Texas and other cities, and the Biden Administration has granted temporary legal status to nearly half a million Venezuelans already in the U.S.