Hey, it's me, Curious City reporter Adriana Cardona McGigad.

Almost every day recently, we've been hearing something new about migrants coming to Chicago.

That's because the city has been experiencing a surge of people, mostly from South and Central America,

who've crossed the U.S.-Mexico border fleeing poverty and violence in their homelands,

countries including Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

Since last August, more than 8,500 immigrants have arrived in Chicago.

Most of them were bused here by government officials in Texas.

But that number is expected to be even greater after May 11. That's when the federal government plans to lift a pandemic era rule that prevents

people from seeking asylum at the border. Since last summer, government officials, community organizations, churches, and volunteers in Chicago

have been working hard to set up shelters for many of these new arrivals and to provide them

with basic necessities like clothing, food, diapers and medicine.

But it's been impossible to keep up with the demand.

The lack of space has forced the new arrivals to seek refuge in the most unexpected public

places.

Well, migrants are sleeping on the floors at Chicago police stations.

And this is...

With America's migrant crisis, many say about to go from bad to worse.

And now area shelters are reaching capacity.

Many Chicago residents are shocked that pregnant women and children are also waiting in these stations.

This week, outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city's resources are at capacity

and declare the migrant situation a state of emergency.

Listener, Geros Dernet, has been concerned since last August when buses first started arriving

...