Illinois taxpayers to pay for $1 million unused large tent planned for housing Chicago migrants in 2023: financial burden

CHICAGO (WLS) — More than $1 million will be covered by taxpayers for a large base camp tent that was planned to accommodate migrants in 2023.

The construction was scrapped halfway through construction, and, at the time the governor vowed taxpayers would not be responsible.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The payment was slipped into the budget, and Democrats and Republicans were caught off guard.

Due to the rush to finalize the budget agreement by May 31, lawmakers did not have sufficient time to thoroughly review the details before voting on it. Embedded within was a brief mention of a payment to GardaWorld, the company tasked by the state to construct the base camp tents.

As winter was approaching in 2023 and the migrant situation was escalating, the state collaborated with the city to engage GardaWorld in erecting a substantial base camp in Brighton Park.

The plan was to house 2,000 migrants there in giant heated tents.

But the plan was scuttled after an environmental report deemed the lot contaminated and unusable.

The governor at the time vowed taxpayers would not be on the hook for the base camp that wasn’t.

But now they will be, with the payment being slipped into the budget bill without most stakeholders ever knowing it.

“This is why people mistrust government, the lack of transparency. And we can change that. We have to do better, and that starts with the governor,” House Republican Leader state Rep. Tony McCombie said.

Tucked into page 75 of the nearly 3,400-page budget are two lines authorizing a $1.3 million payment to GardaWorld Federal Services, for money owed by the Department of Human Services.

The base camp payment flip-flop caught the alderwoman representing this part of Brighton Park completely off-guard.

“The taxpayers, the residents of Brighton Park, they want to know ahead of time. I think it’s our responsibility to be able to share that information so they are understanding of the process, not just find out how we get to the to the last moment,” 12th Ward Ald. Julia Ramirez said.

The governor’s office said in a statement, “GardaWorld sought payment based on its claim that it performed a substantial amount of work at the State’s request. The State negotiated and settled that claim in the Court of Claims.”

“The House Democrats always talk about this being a moral document, and this is, this is exactly what it is. And if you’re going to have a moral document, you don’t do things like this. You don’t slip things in at the last minute that shouldn’t be being paid by Illinois taxpayers,” McCombie said.

GardaWord did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The payment to the company would be made after the governor officially signs the spending plan, which he is expected to do before the end of the month.