The death of a five-year-old who had been staying a migrant shelter in Pilsen is raising questions about migrants’ access to health care and whether gaps may exist in the city of Chicago’s response to the crisis.
Volunteers and those staying in the shelter say people are falling ill at the large temporary shelter on South Halsted.
While the cause of the child’s death remains unclear, the Chicago Fire Department confirmed that four other people – mostly children – were transported from the shelter with fevers on Monday.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said the cause of the 5-year-old boy’s death was unclear, but that it was investigating and “responding to what is a deeply tragic occurrence.”
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In a statement, a CDPH spokesman said that there also have been reported cases of chickenpox in both children and adults at the shelter at 2241 S. Halsted, where the child was found unresponsive and later died.
Medical volunteers also told NBC 5 Investigates that they’ve been denied access to the shelters - turned down from offering their services.
They shared with NBC 5 Investigates a recent text message between a medical volunteer with the Migrant Mobile Health Team and the city of Chicago’s contractor, Favorite Healthcare Staffing, which staffs the city’s migrant shelters.
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In the text exchange, the medical school student volunteer asks if they will be moved to doing triage at the shelters once Chicago police stations have been cleared of migrants. The Favorite staffer replied: “… At this time, we don’t believe we will need help in the shelters.”
Favorite Healthcare Staffing released the following statement to NBC 5 Investigates:
“We are heartbroken to learn of the death of a child at a Pilsen shelter on Sunday, and we send our deepest condolences to his loved ones and community. We take the safety and wellbeing of all shelter residents seriously. Our team is working closely with the City of Chicago and other authorities to support an investigation into what occurred.”
Dr. Evelyn Figueroa, a physician and medical volunteer, told NBC 5 Investigates that she feared it would take a tragic event to change something.
Dr. Figueroa said a medical student volunteer from the Migrant Mobile Health Team – which had been providing medical assistance to migrants temporarily living at police stations – was granted access to the migrant shelter on South Halsted on Monday afternoon. Figueroa said she believes the child’s death was the catalyst that led the volunteers to gain access.
“I wish I could say that I didn’t expect this, but I expected this to happen," she said. "I expected there to be some atrocity in the building and that would finally give us that leverage. It shouldn’t be like that, if people state that they are suffering, we should just believe them.”
Figueroa also co-founded the Pilsen Food Pantry, where she said migrants have been showing up asking for food, clothing and medicine.
Food pantry volunteer coordinator Veronica Saldana became emotional when talking about the hurdles she watched unfold.
“It shouldn’t take people dying for you to do something – for you to ask for help,” she said.
During a city event, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was “deeply sorry and hurt” by the death of the child, but defended the city of Chicago’s efforts.
“I want you to hear me good, They are showing up sick. Do you hear me? They are showing up sick. The issue is not just how we respond in the City of Chicago…” Johnson said.
When asked about why volunteers were being stymied from providing medical assistance and if he would provide a response to the criticism that medical care has been inadequate, Johnson replied: “So there are volunteers that want to provide medical assistance?”
When NBC 5 Investigates told him “yes” and that they are medically trained to do so, Johnson said: “I don’t know where you are getting that information from what I can say is this, that the conditions in which people are arriving in, there is no secret that they had been showing up sick. That’s not a secret that there has been ambulatory runs – even at police districts.”
Mayor Johnson did not respond directly to the question about if he would respond to criticism about the care.
NBC 5 Investigates – and other news outlets – have reported on the efforts of the Migrant Mobile Health Team – a group of up to 250 medical community volunteers who have provided medical assistance to migrants at Chicago police stations.
Their head coordinator even testified during a City Council committee hearing in late September where she described the pain points in trying to coordinate with the city of Chicago.
The city of Chicago released the following statement late Monday:
"The City of Chicago is currently sheltering 13,992 new arrivals at 27 temporary shelters. Many new arrivals survive brutal and dangerous journeys to border states and are promptly and inhumanely shipped out with little to no triage. In border states, new arrivals are spending the night outdoors without a shower, running water, or food. Border states do not take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of individuals they load onto buses. This carelessness directly contributed to the death of a three-year-old girl in September of this year and may continue to have devastating effects.
When new arrivals reach our city from the Southern border, the City of Chicago puts forth every effort to keep them healthy. Decompressing police stations was crucial to new arrivals’ wellness as we have implemented thorough health screenings at shelters. Public health screenings are provided to all new arrivals to identify individuals with acute medical conditions or emergencies that should be directed to an emergency room. Once placed at a City shelter, all new arrivals are offered opt-in transportation to Cook County Health (CCH) for a medical intake or a sick visit.
The shelter at 2241 S. Halsted St. houses a large population of new arrivals who might have multiple needs for evaluation. For this and any other shelter, anyone with acute medical needs that requires immediate attention should be transported to the nearest emergency department for assistance.
Additionally, the Chicago Department of Public Health funds healthcare partners to go onsite to shelters weekly to provide shelter-based care to individuals who might not have plans to go to CCH. City shelters also receive healthcare referral lists to provide new arrivals that are interested in seeking care directly and on their own. Transportation to nearby emergency departments is provided to shelter residents with acute needs or who are experiencing urgent medical duress.
Many new arrivals receive catch-up vaccinations during their scheduled medical encounters at the Cook County Health Belmont Cragin migrant clinic, as well as from other Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and other providers caring for new arrivals. The Chicago Department of Public Health continues to support shelter-based care through its partners, including on-site screenings, infection prevention, and vaccinations.
An investigation is ongoing and any changes to safety protocols for staff will be made based on the findings. Currently, physical health protocol in an emergency (i.e. chest pain, difficulty breathing, decreased responsiveness, confusion, unstoppable bleeding, severe pan, blue or unexplained pale skin), shelter staff are directed to call 9-1-1 and report any medical emergencies in line with the Critical Incident Reporting protocol. Shelter staff may also refer people to Cook County Health, FQHCs, Shelter Base Care (LCOs) for non-urgent care.
We are at a critical point in the humanitarian crisis and the city is facing the challenge to provide shelter for the daily influx of new arrivals sent to Chicago from the southern border. All temporary emergency shelters that have been opened were selected due to the large capacity they can safely serve; the facility is in good condition, requires minimal upgrades and are available for emergency activation within a short timeframe. With the fluid nature of this endeavor, and the high number of individuals arriving each day it is vital we provide safe, secure, and temporary emergency shelter for asylum seekers to receive necessary services to resettle in Chicago or another destination with dignity.
The Johnson Administration has continuously worked to improve shelter conditions by renegotiating inherited contracts, issuing RFPs, and prioritizing safety. We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with the Department of Family Support Services and mutual aid groups on improving this operation.
Chicago continues to prioritize safety and improving our New Arrivals Mission, but any life lost prematurely is a grave tragedy. The death of a child is a deeply tragic event, and our condolences go out to the Martinez family. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is coordinating with the Cook County Medical Examiner, who is investigating the cause of death, along with the Mayor’s Office and other city agencies to investigate this incident. We will provide updates as more information becomes available."
