Mayor Lori Lightfoot vowed to do everything she can to remove unhoused people at O’Hare Airport, calling it a safety issue, after the situation drew national attention — and criticism.
Advocates and workers say the number of unhoused people that sleep or take refuge at the airport has increased substantially this year.
As a secure location, O’Hare does not allow members of the public to be at the airport unless they are flying in or out or work there. Chicago police and the city Department of Aviation have said "we absolutely, fundamentally cannot have people sleeping in our airports who are homeless. That is unacceptable," the mayor said. "We’re gonna continue within the bounds of the law to do what is necessary to provide those folks with support —but elsewhere. They can’t be in our airports.
"It was way, way busier, three times what we saw before," he said. "We were seeing people we knew from all over the city. The attractions are obvious — a roof over your head, relatively warm, restrooms."
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