Update, Oct. 10, 2023 at 6:51 PM:
Chicago officials walked back plans to evict a youth football program from their sports facility to turn it into a migrant shelter.
The new proposed site for the migrant shelter is a nearby residential building whose owners owe the city millions in unpaid fines, according to DailyMail.com.
Officials walked back their decision to evict the kids after the plan triggered nationwide outrage.
Last week, over 600 Chicago residents attended a community meeting to show support for kids in the Amundsen Park youth football program. The children are seen in a video walking into the meeting wearing their football uniforms.
These “Chicago” KIDS from the Amundsen Park youth football program in the Austin neighborhood will be kicked out of their neighborhood field house so it can become a migrant shelter on Monday. Over 600 residents met last night here to oppose this. @bennyjohnson @IllinoisReview pic.twitter.com/w4y3pQRPK3
— Mark Weyermuller (@publicpolicyman) October 4, 2023
The park serves as the home to six football teams and four cheerleading teams, as well as after-school programs and senior care services, The Mail reported.
On Monday, a large crowd gathered at the park to protest the plan. “How dare you make a decision without sitting down with us?” yelled one protester, according to CBS News.
An hour later, officials said the plan was on hold while another site is explored for a migrant shelter.
