After a months-long ordeal fleeing Venezuela, surviving the difficult journey through central America and Mexico to eventually cross the southern U.S. border, asylum-seeker Lismar Pinto arrived by bus at a police station in Chicago, where she stayed on the lobby floor for eight days.
"It was hard, of course, at the beginning, at least for us. We were in a station where there were sexual predators, something like that," she told VOA through a translator. "We arrived with my two grandchildren, a 5-month-old and the other a 5-year-old."
Pinto, who reached the city in late April, is among hundreds of migrants arriving weekly in Chicago, a destination for many like her and her traveling companion, Jose Moran, who hope to start a new life here as their asylum cases wind through the U.S. immigration system.
"The conditions in Venezuela are no secret to anyone, there is no food security, there is no education, there is no health, there are no working conditions," he told VOA through a translator. "It's hard to live there because a salary there is $20 a month. No one can live on $20 a month."
Moran added, "Arriving here in Chicago, we have new possibilities, they are giving us shelter, they help us with food, we have had medical attention, and the children are studying in a school. They are enrolled. So, all of these things have given us a very important change in life."
Chicago continues to cope with a wave of migrants, many from Central and South America, arriving in the Windy City after legally crossing the U.S. southern border, then being transported here, often by bus, from states like Texas. Their arrival has overwhelmed Chicago's police stations, shelters — or "respite centers" — and aid services, forcing city leaders to declare a state of emergency.
"This is a humanitarian crisis," said Michael Rodriguez, an alderperson in Chicago's 22nd Ward, which is home to one of the largest Latino communities in the Midwest. It is one of the first stops where many migrants find temporary assistance.
"Right now, we only have about 2,800 shelter beds in our shelter system, and we are at capacity, so that leaves parks and police stations to temporarily house folks. It's a major challenge and it's costing a significant amount in resources."
Nonprofits have mobilized to provide resources. Among them is New Life Centers, where Matt DeMateo serves as executive director.
"Each one of those steps in the chain, we really walk with emergency food, feeding families, getting clothes, things like that, and there's a strong network in Chicago really wrapped around these families," DeMateo said.
About 9,000 migrants have resettled in Chicago since September of last year. New Life Centers estimates they've helped about one-third of them.
"Families come here with absolutely nothing," DeMateo said. "They come here hungry, tired, have gone through hell and back to get here, and now are looking for new hope and opportunity."
Food provided free of charge from New Life's Pan De Vida grocery store draws hundreds daily, including Jose Molina Povedor, originally from Colombia.
"It is truly a blessing," he told VOA through a translator. "Food is a little scarce, work is scarce, so it is very important here."
Povedor can't legally work in the U.S. until his asylum case is resolved, so he volunteers at Pan De Vida while staying with extended family members already living in the city. "I am waiting for help with my work permit, so that I can work and be a good citizen of the United States," he said.
DeMateo said New Life centers are ramping up efforts to move more migrants from shelters.
"We are one of the main providers on the back side of the whole system where we're placing currently 10 families a day from shelters into apartments, and we're hoping to grow that to 500 families a month from shelters into new apartments," he said.
As the flow of migrants into Chicago continues, city and Illinois state leaders are seeking federal aid to meet the growing needs.
