07 July 2023 , 17:24
1207
0
A police officer is under investigation for allegedly impregnating a teenage girl amid wider allegations that a group of officers engaged in improper sexual contact with newly arrived immigrants.
Chicago police launched the investigation after one officer from the Ogden District was accused of impregnating a teenage girl. The identity of the victim is protected.
The city is grappling with accommodating a growing number of new arrivals sent from the southern U.S. border- many are staying at police stations as they await temporary shelter.
Police officials have refrained from disclosing whether any officers involved have faced disciplinary measures.
Footage showed migrants sitting on mattresses in the overcrowded station (stock image) (Getty Images)Federal Congressman Chuy Garcia also released a statement about the allegations. He said: "Our migrant neighbours came to Chicago seeking safety and stability. Police officers are sworn to protect our communities, not engage in illegal sexual conduct with teenagers and others in their care,"
Greggs, Costa & Pret coffees have 'huge differences in caffeine', says report
Last month, reporters for the Chicago Tribune spent a night inside a police station with some migrants- many of whom said they are living off boxed sandwiches and non-perishables.
Footage posted by photojournalist Rebecca Brannon showed dozens of migrants sitting on and around mattresses in a Chicago police station.
On occasion, some of the migrants who spoke to the Tribune said, they will get dirty glances from the police officers on duty.
Some migrants are pictured sitting on the floor of a police station as they awaited temporary shelter (stock image) (Getty Images)"We're not here because we want to be. I want to leave,' Betzabeth Blancho said. 'My husband goes out every day to find work. I go out everyday to find work.
"I'd like to tell them we're trying to make money so we can move out as quickly as possible,' she said of the officers, adding: 'It's not easy living here."
But when approached about possibly moving into a city-run shelter they said they had heard from friends that conditions at the shelters are worse.
Since August of the previous year, approximately 11,000 asylum-seekers have arrived in Chicago. These individuals were transported to the city by buses or planes under the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
However, finding suitable shelter for the influx of newcomers has posed a challenge for the city. Consequently, hundreds of individuals have been compelled to spend nights sleeping on the floors of police stations.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration plans to open five new shelters across the city with a combined capacity of nearly 2,500 and a “welcoming center “
As of last week, 4,988 immigrants were staying at 12 makeshift city-run shelters, and an additional 650 individuals remained at police stations waiting for a shelter bed. In total, about 11,000 immigrants have come through Chicago as they seek asylum in the U.S.
'I tricked my sister into giving her baby a stupid name - she had it coming'