>> CHICAGO OFFICIALS WILL NOT  EVICT MIGRANTS FROM CITY  SHELTERS UNTIL AT LEAST  MID-MARCH.
MAYOR BRANDON  JOHNSON MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT  TODAY.
AND HERE'S SOME OF WHAT  HE TOLD REPORTERS.
>> BECAUSE OUR PLAN FOR  TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SHELTER  WAS NEVER MEANT AS A LONG-TERM  HOUSING SOLUTION.
WE WANT TO  GIVE EVERY PERSON IN EVERY  SINGLE FAMILY THAT HAS COME TO  OUR CITY ENOUGH TIME TO  PROCESS THEIR WORK  AUTHORIZATION, FIND HOUSING.
STARTED TO LIFE IN OUR GREAT  CITY.
>> WDW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER  SHER AND JOINS US NOW FROM  CITY HALL WITH THE LATEST ON  THE 3RD TIME, JOHNSON HAS  STEPPED BACK FROM EVICTING  MIGRANTS WHO SPENT 60 DAYS IN  CITY SHELTERS.
HEATHER.
SO  2900 MIGRANTS WOKE UP IN CITY  SHELTERS THIS MORNING THAT  WERE SET TO BE EVICTED BY  FRIDAY.
HOW LONG WILL THEY NOW  BE ABLE TO STAY THERE?
>> WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHEN  THEY ENTERED CITY SHELTER.
IF  THEY ENTERED BY MID JANUARY,  THEY WILL BE ABLE TO STAY  UNTIL MID-MARCH.
AND THAT  INCLUDES ABOUT 5700 PEOPLE WHO  WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO FIND  SOMEWHERE ELSE TO LIVE.
NOW,  THOSE WHO ENTERED SHELTER  AFTER WILL BUT WHICH IS ABOUT  2100 PEOPLE BY THE END OF  JANUARY WILL BE ABLE TO STAY  AN EXTRA 30 DAYS.
BUT THIS  MEANS THAT MAYOR BRANDON  JOHNSON WILL BE RIGHT BACK  WHERE HE WAS TODAY IN JUST  ABOUT MID-MARCH, FACING REAL  QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER HE'S  PREPARED TO SHOULD TURN OUT  THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM THE  CITY SHELTERS WHO HAVE NOWHERE  ELSE TO GO.
>> HE MADE IT CLEAR THERE ARE  NO EASY SOLUTIONS TO THIS  LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.
>> LOOK, THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR  EVERYONE.
THERE.
THERE ARE  SOME LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE  CAN DO.
>> THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED THAT  THE 60 DAY LIMIT ON SHELTER  STAYS IN NOVEMBER.
IT WAS  NEVER INTENDED HEATHER TO BE  STRICTLY ENFORCED.
WAS IT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THE FIRST 2  TIMES THE MAYOR STEPPED BACK  FROM ENFORCING THE LIMIT.
IT  WAS BECAUSE OF BRUTALLY COLD  WEATHER AND OF SIGNIFICANT  WINTER STORM.
THAT'S WHY THERE  WAS SO MUCH ATTENTION ON WHAT  THE MAYOR WAS PREPARED TO DO  IT THIS WEEK.
BUT HE MADE IT  CLEAR THAT HE IS BETWEEN A  ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.
HE'S  FACING INCREASING PRESSURE  FROM ALLIES ON THE CITY  COUNCIL IN THE PROGRESSIVE  CAUCUS AND THOSE EVEN NOT ON  THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TO FIND  A WAY TO PROTECT THESE  MIGRANTS.
BUT HE ALSO SAYS  IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR THE  CITY TO SPEND AS MUCH AS 1.5  MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY.
CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND  CHILDREN.
MOST OF THEM MADE  THEIR WAY TO CHICAGO ON BUSES  PAID FOR BY TEXAS GOVERNOR  GREG ABBOTT WHO IS DETERMINED  TO HURT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S  REELECTION.
CHANCES BY  SPLITTING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY  AND MAKING LIFE MISERABLE FOR  MAYORS LIKE BRANDON JOHNSON.
AND AS YOU HEARD GOVERNOR  PRITZKER EARLIER, CHICAGO IS  GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP SHARING  BEARING THE LION'S SHARE OF  THIS.
ALTHOUGH HE SAID STATE.
>> MONEY IS AT THE READY.
HEATHER, YOU ASKED THE JETS  ABOUT MY REPORTING FROM A  COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT SHOWED  THAT HE HAD GOTTEN AN E-MAIL  THAT RAISE THE ALARM ABOUT  CONDITIONS AT THAT PILSEN  MIGRANT SHELTER IN OCTOBER.
THIS IS A SHELTER WHERE 5  YEAR-OLD JOHN CARLOS MARTINEZ  RIVERO HAD FALLEN ILL AND  LATER DIED.
THAT WAS IN  DECEMBER AT WHAT WAS HIS  RESPONSE?
>> HE TOLD ME THAT HE ACTED  IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE SAW THAT  E-MAIL, WHICH YOU OBTAINED AND  THAT SHOWED WENT DIRECTLY TO  HIM.
NOW THAT CONTRADICTS WHAT  YOU WERE TOLD AND WHAT YOU'VE  REPORTED ON FROM OTHER  OFFICIALS AND OTHER ADVOCATES  FOR THE MIGRANTS.
WE HEARD  TODAY FROM NEW CHICAGO  DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH  COMMISSIONER DOCTOR SON BEAU  EK WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS  GOING TO BE EXPANDED EFFORTS  TO ENSURE THAT THE CONDITIONS  OF THE SHELTERS, HOUSING THE  MIGRANTS.
NOW MANY 14,200 AS  OF TODAY'S COUNT, WILL BE  RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED.
AND  THAT INCREASE EFFORTS WILL BE  MADE TO PREVENT THE  TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICABLE  DISEASES AND TO ENSURE THAT  EVERYONE IS CONNECTED TO  HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE COOK  COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
>> ALL RIGHT, HEATHER SHARON,  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
JOINING US