A CDC HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN MIGRANTS.

MORE THAN 8000 MIGRANTS HAVE ARRIVED SINCE LAST SUMMER.

NOW CITYWIDE EFFORTS ARE REACHING A TIPPING POINT AS RESOURCES DWINDLE.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE WHO RUNS A FREE STORE FOR MIGRANTS ON THE NORTH SIDE AND A VOLUNTEER IN GARFIELD RIDGE ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE AND A MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE INTERCITY MUSLIM ACTION NETWORK, ALSO ALDERMEN LOPEZ .

WE ALSO INVITED THE CITY TO ENJOY JOINT AS TODAY, BUT THEY DECLINED.

WE WOULD GET STARTED.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

WE KNOW YOU RUN A FREE STORE FOR MIGRANTS AND HAVE BEEN HELPING THEM.

HOW HAVE THINGS BEEN LATELY AT THE STORE?

>> WE ARE VERY, VERY BUSY.

WE RUN OUT VERY QUICKLY OF THE GOODS WE HAVE.

IT IS A DAILY BUSY, BUSY TIME.

WE HAVE SOMETIMES 100 PEOPLE IN ONE DAY.

THESE ARE ALL NEW ARRIVALS.

>> WHAT IS A MAJOR NECESSITY FOR THE MIGRANTS?

>> THEY COME IN AND HAVE NOTHING.

WHEN THEY CROSS THE BORDER, THEY HAVE TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND, LIKE BAGS, CLOTHING, EVERYTHING.

SOME EVEN NEED GLASSES OR HEARING AIDS THAT THEY HAVE TO LEAVE BEHIND.

WHEN THEY ARRIVE, THEY ONLY HAVE THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACK.

WE GIVE THEM A GOOD TWO OR THREE CHANGES TO GET STARTED.

WE ARE AN EMERGENCY FREE STORE.

>> I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN ALSO HELPING MIGRANTS AT POLICE DISTRICTS AROUND THE CITY UNTIL THEY FIND A MORE PERMANENT TEMPORARY SHELTER.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING THERE?

>> WE ARE SEEING A CRISIS THAT THE CITY HAS.

WE HAVE PEOPLE SLEEPING ON CONCRETE FLOORS.

WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE SICK.

WE HAVE PREGNANT WOMEN THAT ARE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO MEDICAL SERVICES.

WE ARE SEEING FAMILIES GO WITHOUT FOOD, SOMETIMES FOR DAYS.

THAT IS WHEN WE TOOK ACTION TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES AT POLICE STATIONS HAD AT LEAST TWO MEALS, TWO HOT MEALS, WATER , FOOD A DAY.

>> WE KNOW HEALTH CAN ALSO BE AN ISSUE.

DR. JAMES, YOUR MEDICAL TEAM HAS BEEN GOING TO SEVERAL OF THESE POLICE DISTRICTS ON THE SOUTHSIDE TO ASSIST MIGRANTS.

WHAT YOU SEEING OUT THERE?

>> I AM BLOWN AWAY BY WHAT I SEEN.

WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE STRUGGLING JUST TO GET HYDRATED, JUST TO GET WATER.

WE ARE SEEING HIGH RATES OF INFECTIONS AFFECTING JUST ABOUT EVERYONE IN THE VICINITY.

AND JUST THE RAVAGES ON THE BODIES OF FOLKS WHO HAVE TRAVELED, SOMETIMES MONTH, A TRICK FAMILY TRAVELED MONTHS THROUGH A JUNGLE AND HAD VERY LITTLE ACCESS TO CARE.

>> WE KNOW THE CITY IS TRYING TO UTILIZE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS TO GIVE THEM TEMPORARY HOUSING , BUT THERE ARE SOME COMES CONCERNS.

HOW SHOULD THE CITY APPROACH THIS?

>> THE CITY HAS TO START ACKNOWLEDGING THE MISTAKE OF IMPOSING OR PLANNING WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO START WITH COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE SENSITIVITY TO THE ISSUE AND UNDERSTANDING OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE STORY.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, BILINGUAL SERVICES, WE HAVE MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES WHO COME IN WITH TRAUMA.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW DEALING WITH A LOT OF ISSUES.

EVERY COMMUNITY HAS TO BE INCLUDED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION.

THAT IS A MISTAKE THE CITY CONTINUES TO MAKE.

WE ARE WORKING ALREADY WITH MAYOR ELECT JOHNSON TO CORRECT THAT SO WE CAN BETTER ASSESS AND ADDRESS THE ISSUES AFFECTING THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WE REPRESENT.

>> YOU ARE TRYING TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HELP MIGRANTS GIVEN THEIR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED?

>> WE HAVE BEEN DOING IT AS A MIRACLE FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN THE FIRST BUSES CAME FROM TEXAS.

ERIC CHURCH, -- OUR CHURCH.

WE HAVE A SPANISH CONGREGATION.

SINCE WE HAVE A SPANISH CONGREGATION, WE FELT LIKE, HEY, WE ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD DO THIS.

WE SPEAK SPANISH.

WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR DONATIONS.

WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY GRANTS OR CITY HELP OR ANYTHING.

>> JUST COMMUNITY HELP.

>> ALL COMMUNITY.

IT'S AMAZING.

WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE COMING IN , WORKING NEXT TO EACH OTHER, WOMEN, MEN, YOUNG AND OLD, ALL KINDS OF CHILDREN , NO CHURCHES, ALL KIND THE CHURCHES, KNOW POLITICAL SIDES.

SO GOOD.

>> YOU ARE ALSO PART OF THE SOLUTION TRY TO HELP THE MIGRANTS.

YOU HAVE SPOKEN WITH THEM.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION?

>> THAT THE PEOPLE SITTING IN POLICE STATIONS ARE PEOPLE.

THEY ARE HUMAN.

THEY HAVE HAD SOMETIMES YEARS OF TRAUMA AND MONTHS OF CHALLENGES TO GET TO THIS COUNTRY.

WE ARE A COUNTRY OF OPPORTUNITY.

WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT WELCOMES IMMIGRANTS.

AS MANY OF OUR ANCESTORS WERE.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO AS A CITY , AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THE BASIC NEEDS ARE MET UNTIL THEY CAN HAVE BETTER HOUSING?

>> DR. JAMES, YOU MENTIONED HOW YOU WERE SEEING IN EQUITIES IN REAL TIME.

WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT?

>> I MEAN BY THAT, JUST WHAT WAS SAID.

FOLKS ARE BEING TREATED AS IF THEY AREN'T HUMAN.

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WERE GRANTED THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING HUMAN AND ALL THE RIGHTS THEREOF.

THE SPEED OF THE RESPONSE, THE RESPONSE EVEN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, REALLY IS NOT REAFFIRMING TO HUMANITY OF THE FOLKS WE ARE DEALING WITH.

>> ALDERMAN, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO NOW?

>> IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE JOIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

NEEDS TO ACT QUICKLY.

THERE IS $800 MILLION ALREADY ALLOCATED, BUT HAS NOT BEEN DISPERSED.

IT HASN'T BEEN DISTRIBUTED.

FUNDS HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN DISCUSSED, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO EXPEDITE.

FEDERAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES MUST DO THEIR JOB, AND WE CANNOT DEHUMANIZE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

THE STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS , I'M GLAD TO SEE THE PRESIDENT OF COOK COUNTY WENT TO THE STATE TO ASK FOR MORE FUNDING.

THERE IS NOW THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT AND STOP PLAYING WITH PEOPLES LIES AND DEHUMANIZING.

THERE IS ALSO A NATIONAL POLICY HURTING PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN.

WE NEED TO STOP THIS.

IS REALLY HURTING A LOT OF COUNTRIES.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL ISSUES DEMOCRATICALLY.

WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.

ALSO, FEDERAL AUTHORITIES MUST BE COORDINATED TO STOP SUCH A HUGHES CRISIS.

40,000 PEOPLE AT