Chicagoans Sue Mayor Over Tent City for Migrants

Residents of Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood are suing Mayor Brandon Johnson over the construction of a tent city for migrants.

The news came on a day construction of Chicago's first winterized tent camp was put on hold as the state reviews a city environmental report that found contaminated soil on the site, CBS News Chicago reported.

A Chicago news website, reporting on a Monday hearing concerning the tent city, posted on social media that Brighton Park residents are suing the city for a temporary restraining order on the migrant tent city.

"At the hearing, it was revealed the city never issued construction permits for the tent city," 16^th & 17^th District Chicago Police Scanner posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The city is arguing that residents can't hold the city accountable to follow its own zoning and building codes. The Brandon Johnson administration is basically saying that the city doesn't have to follow its own building codes and laws. The city is also arguing that the soil is safe as long as you don’t eat it."

In September, Johnson announced plans to build tent encampments for up to 1,400 illegal aliens. Neighborhood residents, who weren’t given an opportunity to discuss the plan with their alderwoman, quickly organized to oppose it.

Julia Ramirez, alderwoman from the 12^th District, later sent a letter to constituents distancing herself from Johnson’s plan, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Construction on the tent site in Brighton Park began last week. It’s expected to cost Chicago $29 million to build.

July data from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning showed that Brighton Park’s population is comprised of 80.5% Latino and only 7.7% white.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is reviewing an 800-page environmental review from the city that prompted the removal of contaminated soil on the text city site.

"The State has temporarily paused construction at the Brighton Park site pending IEPA review of the environmental report. IEPA has some outstanding questions they are hopeful they can work through today," Gov. J.B. Pritzker's spokeswoman, Jordan Abudayyeh, said in an email to CBS News Chicago.

Pritzker later said he expects the results of the IEPA review to be completed and released "sometime very soon." 

Politico reported in October that Chicago is seeing in influx of migrants as it prepares to host next year’s Democratic National Convention.

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