The city's emergency center, the OEMC, is sometimes alerted that migrants are on the move. They aren't notified by FEMA, the U.S. Border Patrol or even the governor of Texas. If they are lucky, Chicago City Hall is notified by the bus companies carrying the migrants."We're obviously doing rapid response and trying to house folks, and make sure that they are not on the street, and they are fed, and they have a path to resettlement and self-sufficiency.
More help from the state and federal government is needed immediately, according to Chicago officials managing the crisis. "I think when people start to recognize that not only are we getting buses in multiples, we can't get in front of opening up enough spaces," Pacione-Zayas said. "I think it then starts to create some awareness of just how urgent the matter is."