The Welcoming City

As of October 2024, the New Arrival (NA) shelter system will begin transitioning to the One System Initiative. This new unified sheltering system merges the existing NA shelter system with current legacy shelters with the aim to serve unhoused Chicagoans.

The Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights (IMRR) created a resource guide for new arrivals that outlines the various services the city, state, local agencies and community organizations offer in Chicago. 

To access the resource guide, please click HERE. (Translations are available in Spanish, French, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese) 

Since August 31, 2022, the State of Texas has bused asylum seekers through private charter buses to Chicago at regular intervals. During the last several months, Texas officials dispatched buses with hundreds of migrants to Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York City. While most asylum seekers are from Venezuela, individuals and families are also from all over the world, including countries from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. 

The City of Chicago has also seen an increase in asylum seekers arriving through other modes of transportation, often without resources. NGOs and local governments along the border purchase airline or bus tickets to other cities like Chicago without any coordination. Since August 2022, the City has shouldered the responsibility of caring for more than 49,000 men, women, and children.

As a Welcoming City, we have a responsibility to provide access to shelter, food, and medical care to everyone regardless of immigration status. Many of our new arrivals have walked hundreds of miles, navigating great danger through multiple countries, in pursuit of safety and opportunity in the United States. We are committed to assisting each family and individual, providing human services with respect and dignity.