>>> AS THE MONEY AND RESOURCES GROWTH IN THERE IS CALLS FOR MORE COLLABORATION ACROSS VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE MIGRANTS.

THIS WEEK THE MAYOR WAS A HOST OF ILLINOIS POLITICIANS CALLING ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FAST-TRACK THE WORK AUTHORIZATION FOR NONCITIZENS.

DOING THIS NOW FOR MORE ON THE ISSUE IS THE SENATOR CRUZ DISTRICT COVERAGE PARTS OF THE DISTRICT.

WE HAVE THE COUNCILMEN AND ALDERMEN.

CHAIRING THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS.

WE INVITED THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO BUT THEY DECLINED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE.

WE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

>> THE FEDERAL LAW FROM THE 1990 STATE ASYLUM-SEEKERS HAVE TO WAIT A TOTAL OF 180 DAYS BEFORE RECEIVING WORK AUTHORIZATION.

HERE IS SENATOR DURBIN ON HIS PLEA TO PRESIDENT BIDEN TO FIX THIS IN THE PRESSING WORKFORCE SHORTAGE.

>> VIRTUALLY EVERY LINE OF WORK YOU THINK OF, WE NEED THESE PEOPLE AND WE NEED THEM NOW.

THESE PEOPLE ARE READY TO HELP AND WE SHOULD GIVE THEM THE CHANCE BY JOINING THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR AND OTHERS TO SAY TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, WAS THE AUTHORITY AND WE WILL FIND JOBS.

WE WILL NOT TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM AMERICANS THE CREED OF BARRETT OR -- BETTER AMERICA FOR THE FUTURE.

>> IT TAKES US TO YOU, ALDERMEN.

DO WE KNOW IF ANY MORE THAN 13,000 ASYLUM-SEEKERS EVEN RECEIVED ONE WORK PERMIT IN THE PAST YEAR?

>> I AM CONFIDENT THAT SOME HAVE.

AS FAR AS OUT LARGE OR SMALL THE NUMBER, IT'S UNDETERMINED .

THAT IS WHY THE PUSH IS WHAT IT IS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A BLANKET PERMITTED WORK AUTHORIZATION WHETHER TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS OR OTHER MEANS .

AS OF RIGHT NOW WE CANNOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE IN THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE.

>> IS THE WAIT TYPICALLY LONGER THAN 180 DAYS?

>> YES.

WE HAVE SEEN ANYTHING , ABOUT CLOSE TO YEAR.

IT HAS NOT BEEN ANY MOVEMENT.

THERE IS A FINITE AMOUNT OF PERMITS THAT ARE ISSUED WHICH IS PROVING TO BE CHALLENGING AS WELL .

>> SENATOR, IF GRANTED THE STATE WOULD BE THE ONES ACTUALLY SPONSORING ASYLUM-SEEKERS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WHAT IS ILLINOIS HEARING FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ?

>> IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AND THERE IS NOTHING CONCRETE BUT REALITY IS WE HAVE A CONGRESS KIND OF IN A DEADLOCK ON 1 MILLION TO 1 DIFFERENT ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO IMMIGRATION.

THAT IS WHY WE HAVE NOT REALLY SEEN ANY MOVEMENT ON IMMIGRATION RELATED ISSUES SO RIGHT NOW IT IS COSTING CONVERSATION WE ARE HAVING ALSO URGING ON OUR BEHALF TO SAY WE NEED ACTION ON THIS.

WE NEED TO SEE SOMETHING OR OTHERWISE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY GOING TO BE IN THE SAME CYCLE WITH NO ANSWERS.

>> THEY WOULD JUST BE KICKING THE CAN, IN A WAY.

>> IT'S BEEN A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION BUT NO DEFINITIVE RESOLUTION ON IF WORK PERMITS WILL COME AND IF THERE WILL BE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS.

I THINK THE WHITE HOUSE IS DOING WHAT THEY CAN BUT THE REALITY IS WITHOUT A CONGRESS COMMITTED TO DOING SOMETHING, WE ARE ALL STUCK IN LIMBO.

>> YOU SEE THIS HAPPENING WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR?

>> HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK WE WILL SEE MAJOR MOVEMENT WITHOUT ACTION IN CONGRESS.

WE HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP AND OBVIOUSLY THOSE PLAY A MAJOR ROLE ON WHAT'S GOING ON, AND HOW PROBLEMS AND ISSUES ARE DEALT WITH.

THE REALITY IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT, ANY TIME FRAME FOR WHEN ANY RESOLUTION IS GOING TO COME.

>> DO YOU SEE THIS FASTER WORK PERMIT BEING A SOLUTION TO THE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE?

>> ABSOLUTELY .

IT'S DEFINITELY AN ASPECT BUT NOT A SILVER BULLET.

WE HAVE SHORTAGES IN MANY SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY.

IT WOULD BE A GREAT BENEFIT IF WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BY OFFERING OUR ASYLUM-SEEKERS WORK PERMITS, ABSOLUTELY.

>> COULD YOU SEE THE STATE AUTHORIZING WORK STATUS AS A GOOD SOLUTION FOR THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WE ARE SEEING ?

>> ABSOLUTELY, OF COURSE.

WE HAVE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY TO FAMILIES IN NEED AND OUR ECONOMY NEEDS IT.

WE HAVE ACUTE SHORTAGE OF WORKERS IN THE ECONOMY SINCE THE PANDEMIC KIT.

THE PEOPLE COMING HERE ARE VERY SKILLED WORKERS, EDUCATED .

THEY KNOW HOW TO WORK IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY.

THIS IS A HUGE NEED IT WOULD BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

>> AS WE KNOW AND HAVE ALL SEEN ACTUALLY, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SHELTERS FOR THE NEWLY ARRIVED MIGRANTS INTO THE CITY.

ALDERMEN, HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE ARGUMENT THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO CAREFIRST FOR ITS RESIDENTS, ITS CITIZENS BEFORE TAKING CARE OF THE NEWEST ARRIVALS?

>> PART OF THE SITUATION AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S LIKE TO BE IN A COMMUNITY WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT INVESTMENT AND THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN GOVERNMENT SAYS TO ESTABLISH SHELTER AND WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WHY THAT SENTIMENT IS BEING VOICED.

SOME COULD SAY PRIORITIZATION AND THE CHALLENGE.

WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF ALL AND CREATE A SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH NOT ONLY NEW ARRIVALS BUT ALSO WITH THE EXISTING POPULATION.

THAT IS WHY WORK AUTHORIZATION IS IMPORTANT.

WHERE I WOULD DIFFER A LITTLE, I THINK THAT IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE TO CHANGE IT.

CONGRESS WILL NOT MOVED.

IT'S ABOUT A PRESIDENT THROUGH EXECUTIVE ORDER MAKING THE NECESSARY CHANGES.

IF WE DON'T HAVE WORK AUTHORIZATIONS NOW, WE WILL SEE MORE AND MORE BUSES AND NEW ARRIVALS SCALING UP EXPONENTIALLY.

THAT'S THE CLOSER YOU GET TO THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION AND THEY WILL LABEL CHICAGO A DISASTER, THE PARTY A DISASTER, AND THE PRESIDENT A DISASTER.

WE NEED AUTHORIZATION TO MOVE QUICKLY TO BRING REAL SOLUTIONS TO WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW .

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SHELTER.

HOW DOES THE CITY PRIORITIZE WHICH OF MIGRANTS ARE MOVED TO TEMPORARY SHELTERS AND WHO STAYS AT THE POLICE STATIONS, AT THE AIRPORTS?

>> IT IS LESS ABOUT PRIORITIZING BUT TAKING IT AS IT COMES.

WE SEE 80 TO 100 PEOPLE COMING IN PER DAY, AND HAVE ABOUT 1600 AT THE POLICE STATION.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT BUILDING UP THE SYSTEM OF SHELTERS THE TAKE ON THE CAPACITY THEY ARE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE FAMILIES FIRST IF THEY CAN.

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH CAPACITY RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS WHY WE NEED THE WORK AUTHORIZATION AND WE ARE TRYING TO COUGH UP MORE SHELTERS BUT I FEAR IT IS NOT ENOUGH AND WILL NOT BE ENOUGH.

>> WE ARE RUNNING SHORT ON TIME, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LET YOU GO HOPEFULLY BEFORE WE GET AN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU, ACTUALLY, ABOUT WHAT OPPORTUNITY YOU SEE WITH THE STATE, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ACTUALLY THAT COULD COLLABORATE BETTER ON THIS ISSUE?

>> THERE IS A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS OBVIOUSLY.

THE CITY ADMINISTRATION CHANGE THAT IMPACTED THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS EXISTING.

WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUSES ARRIVING FROM TEXAS.

REALITY IS THIS IS A PROBLEM BEING EXACERBATED BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS THAT IS SHIPPING INHUMANELY PEOPLE TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO, AND OTHER DEMOCRATIC CITIES, TO BASICALLY TRY TO USE THEM AS SCAPEGOATS AS PART OF A LARGER CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAPPENING NATIONALLY.

THE REALITY IS THAT MORE AND CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS THAT ALREADY ARE EXISTING AND OBVIOUSLY BINDING MORE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS.

>> THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE CITY OF ILLINOIS.

WE HAVE ASSISTED OVER 11,000 PATIENTS AND DIVIDING OVER 50,000 VISITS, PRESCRIBED OVER 22,000 PRESCRIPTIONS TO PEOPLE IN NEED.

COOK COUNTY HEALTH IS THE LEAD MEDICAL PROVIDER FOR US ITEMS CITY SEEKERS AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO