Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city "will never turn its back on people who wish to call the city of Chicago their home." (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
Johnson, whose one-year anniversary as mayor was also Thursday, said he penned a letter to the Biden administration, pushing harder for additional work permits, with the support of dozens of other city mayors, including Denver, New York, Seattle and San Francisco.
"I remain standing in my belief that a more inclusive and equitable future for all residents is truly possible, whether they arrived here yesterday or have been here for an extended period of time," he said.
The mayor added that even though the "humanitarian crisis" continues to overwhelm and "test the city," officials will not "waver in their commitment to the immigrant communities."
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As the migrant crisis continues and crime surges in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson enacted the 60-day shelter eviction policy for migrants. (Getty Images/File | AP/File)
On Thursday, the administration announced an extension from 180 to 540 days for certain categories of illegal migrants "to help prevent renewal applicants from experiencing a lapse in their employment authorization and documentation." It's unclear how many of Chicago's illegal migrants will be eligible for those extensions.
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Last year, Johnson faced backlash from Chicago residents at several city and community meetings who were frustrated by illegal migrants being dumped in their neighborhoods. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022 and thousands remain in shelters.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
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