Ben Bergquam of Real America’s Voice and Terry Newsome of the Behind Enemy Lines podcast have formed a formidable investigative reporting duo in Chicago. Over the past year and a half, they have collaborated to expose the human tragedy of the illegal immigration crisis in the sanctuary city of Chicago.
Confrontation with suspected illegal immigrants engaged in questionable activities. This time, Bergquam follows Newsome through his childhood neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago, as highlighted in a tweet by Bergquam that has garnered nearly 900K views.
Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson are relocating illegal immigrants from downtown Chicago to the Southside to keep them out of sight during the upcoming DNC Convention. A brand new Holiday Inn near Midway Airport is being converted to house illegal immigrants, funded by taxpayer dollars.
The duo is following up on a series of FOIA requests Newsome has made over the past two years regarding various migrant facilities across Chicago. In their latest investigation, they visit a Holiday Inn near Midway Airport.
Newsome shares the history of the neighborhood, lamenting the stark contrast between its patriotic past of manufacturing airplane parts during WWII and its current state, where illegal immigrants occupy an entire Holiday Inn at the expense of American citizens.
Chicago, with its sanctuary city status, has become a primary destination for illegal immigrants seeking refuge. Many are unprepared for life in a new country, but they are provided care and financing by NGOs such as Catholic Charities and the Obama Foundation-affiliated New Life Centers.
While the homeless suffer through Chicago’s harsh winters, illegal immigrants are assigned caseworkers and enjoy free groceries, government-funded smartphones, shelter, food, and clothing. They are even placed in apartments with fully covered utilities.
The logistics of this operation require collaboration between multiple NGOs, the City of Chicago, utility companies, and the State of Illinois. The cost is so high that Illinois raised taxes by $1 billion in 2024, with a significant portion earmarked for the care of illegal immigrants. Illinois Policy reported that by March 2024, Chicago had spent approximately $300 million on the migrant crisis since 2022.
Illinois Policy also noted that money designated for homelessness was not used for that purpose, with a majority of the funding going to just three vendors. The complex web of federal, state, and city funding, along with numerous NGOs. An email chain highlighted Catholic Charities and New Life Centers’ role in housing and settling illegal immigrants in Chicago. Behind Enemy Lines podcast uncovered these facilities through multiple FOIA requests, revealing the locations and numbers of new arrivals.
The video featuring Bergquam and Newsome highlights a brand new Holiday Inn facility not open to the public but designated for illegal immigrants. There is no clear indication that the influx of new arrivals necessitated a new facility.
These facilities serve as temporary holding zones while NGOs work to place illegal immigrants in apartments across the city. Notably, this Holiday Inn is outside the city proper, raising questions about whether illegal immigrants are being moved to locations outside designated city facilities, possibly in anticipation of the DNC in late August.
The video also shows a parking pass from New Life Centers in the Holiday Inn parking lot, suggesting their involvement in using this facility for temporary housing.
Terry Newsome and Behind Enemy Lines continue to uncover the truth about the illegal immigration crisis in Chicago, promising more revelations as the chaotic and dystopian Democratic National Convention approaches in late August 2024.