>> CHICAGO OFFICIALS WILL NOT EVICT MIGRANTS FROM CITY SHELTERS UNTIL AT LEAST MID-MARCH.

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY.

AND HERE'S SOME OF WHAT HE TOLD REPORTERS.

>> BECAUSE OUR PLAN FOR TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SHELTER WAS NEVER MEANT AS A LONG-TERM HOUSING SOLUTION.

WE WANT TO GIVE EVERY PERSON IN EVERY SINGLE FAMILY THAT HAS COME TO OUR CITY ENOUGH TIME TO PROCESS THEIR WORK AUTHORIZATION, FIND HOUSING.

STARTED TO LIFE IN OUR GREAT CITY.

>> WDW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER SHER AND JOINS US NOW FROM CITY HALL WITH THE LATEST ON THE 3RD TIME, JOHNSON HAS STEPPED BACK FROM EVICTING MIGRANTS WHO SPENT 60 DAYS IN CITY SHELTERS.

HEATHER.

SO 2900 MIGRANTS WOKE UP IN CITY SHELTERS THIS MORNING THAT WERE SET TO BE EVICTED BY FRIDAY.

HOW LONG WILL THEY NOW BE ABLE TO STAY THERE?

>> WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHEN THEY ENTERED CITY SHELTER.

IF THEY ENTERED BY MID JANUARY, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO STAY UNTIL MID-MARCH.

AND THAT INCLUDES ABOUT 5700 PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO LIVE.

NOW, THOSE WHO ENTERED SHELTER AFTER WILL BUT WHICH IS ABOUT 2100 PEOPLE BY THE END OF JANUARY WILL BE ABLE TO STAY AN EXTRA 30 DAYS.

BUT THIS MEANS THAT MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON WILL BE RIGHT BACK WHERE HE WAS TODAY IN JUST ABOUT MID-MARCH, FACING REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER HE'S PREPARED TO SHOULD TURN OUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM THE CITY SHELTERS WHO HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.

>> HE MADE IT CLEAR THERE ARE NO EASY SOLUTIONS TO THIS LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.

>> LOOK, THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE.

THERE.

THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE CAN DO.

>> THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED THAT THE 60 DAY LIMIT ON SHELTER STAYS IN NOVEMBER.

IT WAS NEVER INTENDED HEATHER TO BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.

WAS IT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE FIRST 2 TIMES THE MAYOR STEPPED BACK FROM ENFORCING THE LIMIT.

IT WAS BECAUSE OF BRUTALLY COLD WEATHER AND OF SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM.

THAT'S WHY THERE WAS SO MUCH ATTENTION ON WHAT THE MAYOR WAS PREPARED TO DO IT THIS WEEK.

BUT HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE IS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.

HE'S FACING INCREASING PRESSURE FROM ALLIES ON THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS AND THOSE EVEN NOT ON THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TO FIND A WAY TO PROTECT THESE MIGRANTS.

BUT HE ALSO SAYS IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR THE CITY TO SPEND AS MUCH AS 1.5 MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

MOST OF THEM MADE THEIR WAY TO CHICAGO ON BUSES PAID FOR BY TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT WHO IS DETERMINED TO HURT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S REELECTION.

CHANCES BY SPLITTING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND MAKING LIFE MISERABLE FOR MAYORS LIKE BRANDON JOHNSON.

AND AS YOU HEARD GOVERNOR PRITZKER EARLIER, CHICAGO IS GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP SHARING BEARING THE LION'S SHARE OF THIS.

ALTHOUGH HE SAID STATE.

>> MONEY IS AT THE READY.

HEATHER, YOU ASKED THE JETS ABOUT MY REPORTING FROM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT SHOWED THAT HE HAD GOTTEN AN E-MAIL THAT RAISE THE ALARM ABOUT CONDITIONS AT THAT PILSEN MIGRANT SHELTER IN OCTOBER.

THIS IS A SHELTER WHERE 5 YEAR-OLD JOHN CARLOS MARTINEZ RIVERO HAD FALLEN ILL AND LATER DIED.

THAT WAS IN DECEMBER AT WHAT WAS HIS RESPONSE?

>> HE TOLD ME THAT HE ACTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE SAW THAT E-MAIL, WHICH YOU OBTAINED AND THAT SHOWED WENT DIRECTLY TO HIM.

NOW THAT CONTRADICTS WHAT YOU WERE TOLD AND WHAT YOU'VE REPORTED ON FROM OTHER OFFICIALS AND OTHER ADVOCATES FOR THE MIGRANTS.

WE HEARD TODAY FROM NEW CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSIONER DOCTOR SON BEAU EK WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE EXPANDED EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THE CONDITIONS OF THE SHELTERS, HOUSING THE MIGRANTS.

NOW MANY 14,200 AS OF TODAY'S COUNT, WILL BE RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED.

AND THAT INCREASE EFFORTS WILL BE MADE TO PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS CONNECTED TO HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE COOK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

>> ALL RIGHT, HEATHER SHARON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

JOINING US