Jeanne Ives, a former state legislator and founder of Breakthrough Ideas, criticized Governor J.B. Pritzker for what she described as a waste of taxpayer money on a migrant tent that was never constructed or utilized, as well as on millions spent on a COVID-19 hospital that served few patients.
“Pritzker has no concern for taxpayer money,” said Ives. “Just like the $66 million COVID hospital that served a couple dozen people, he is now paying for a migrant tent that was never built.”
In 2023, Governor Pritzker abandoned plans to build a migrant camp on Chicago’s South Side after an environmental report revealed the site required extensive testing and cleanup due to chemical contamination, according to the Chicago Tribune. Pritzker said his office would collaborate with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to increase shelter options for migrants through the winter. However, Johnson criticized the state for failing to provide further guidance on the site.
Ives referenced a June 10 Chicago Tribune report revealing that Illinois agreed to pay contractor GardaWorld Federal Services $1.3 million for a migrant shelter encampment in Brighton Park that was never built. According to Ives, Governor Pritzker had assured that GardaWorld would absorb costs if the site was deemed environmentally unsafe. The company began work in late 2023 but, despite those assurances, the Illinois Court of Claims ruled that the state owes GardaWorld $1.3 million for work completed during the 2024 fiscal year.
According to WGN, the environmental assessment and settlement with the property owner for the Brighton Park site intended for a migrant encampment cost the state $1.7 million. Community groups expressed concerns about contamination on the nine-acre site, which was expected to house 1,500 migrants in winterized tents.
Jeanne Ives is a former Illinois State Representative who served six years representing Illinois House District 42. She ran for governor in 2018 and sought election to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020.
