Immigration surge overburdens US cities

CHICAGO — US cities already struggling to shelter thousands of migrants are calling for federal help and an end to Republican political gamesmanship over immigration, concerned that an expected increase in the number of people entering the country when pandemic-era asylum restrictions end on the US-Mexico border next Thursday will further strain their budgets and resources.

Chicago has long pledged to welcome migrants, but a tenfold increase in recent days has taxed resources. Migrants awaiting beds in city-run shelters are sleeping on floors in police stations and in airports surrounded by suitcases. They are depending on donors for food, medicine and clothing.

When border crossings increased last summer, Republican governors of border states bused migrants to cities led by Democrats, including Chicago, New York and Denver, arguing that their own cities were overwhelmed. Texas' governor vowed this week to resume a program busing new arrivals to Chicago and other cities.