North Cook News

15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez is one of several critics calling on change in the homeless encampments at O’Hare airport.

“We’ve seen this beautiful gateway to Chicago been overrun by the homeless, where every night 200 to 300 homeless individuals come off public transportation and set up encampments here in baggage claim. And throughout all five terminals. All the while, the mayor’s voice is blasting from overhead, welcoming any one of the 65,000 daily visitors here in this indoor outhouse that we call O’Hare Airport,” Lopez said.

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has become an encampment for many of the city's homeless population, raising severe safety concerns. On "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Democratic Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez called out Mayor Lori Lightfoot for the escalating situation, as she runs for re-election in less than two weeks, FOX News reports.

"They're not just urinating in the hallways," Lopez said on Tucker Carlson Tonight, according to FOX News. "They're taking baths in the toilets there. They're making a mockery of what Chicago is here, and we understand that homelessness is a problem we must address." 

Residents of Chicago are saying the situation is unsafe and also threatens Chicago's tourism. “I was terrified at the airport yesterday when a man approached my husband and I flailing his hands in our faces,” wrote Natasha Patel in a tweet aimed toward Lightfoot, the NY Post reports.

The New York Post and the Daily Mail published articles this week about the homeless issue at O'Hare, turning it into a national story, reports Outkick. The Outback editorial puts the blame on homeless shelters being full due to migrants being shipped to Chicago from other cities. Almost 4,000 migrants were housed by the city as per the most recent count. A closed Kmart on the city's south side has been suggested as a migrant housing facility, according to Outkick.