Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson does a U-Turn and will NOT visit the southern border – claiming he needs to address ‘urgency’ of migrant crisis at home after over 18,000 arrive this year

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has canceled his planned trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to witness the migrant crisis firsthand, his office announced.

The Democrat said Monday he would not attend the trip to the border, but will instead send Deputy Mayor for Immigration Beatriz Ponce de León as leader and other aides.

Brandon said the turnaround is due to the need to “respond to the immediate urgency of adding shelter space to house thousands of newcomers currently sleeping in police stations, airports or beyond.”

The Windy City is struggling with more than 11,000 migrants in shelters and 4,000 staying in police stations and O’Hare International Airport, after more than 18,000 arrived in the city in one year.

The delegation will leave for Texas on Tuesday and visit the cities of El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen and Brownsville.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has canceled his planned trip to the US-Mexico border to witness the migrant crisis firsthand

The Windy City is struggling with more than 11,000 migrants in shelters and 4,000 staying in police stations and O’Hare International Airport (photo)

Most of the migrants arriving in Chicago in the past year have come from Texas, largely led by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

“The mayor, along with senior aides and key operational staff, will remain in Chicago to address the immediate urgency of adding shelter space for thousands of newcomers sleeping in police stations, airports or beyond,” Johnson’s office said in a statement.

Johnson had previously said he would get to the border with his family “as soon as possible” as he tried to better coordinate the arrival of migrant buses in Chicago with Texas officials.

“A focus will be establishing better lines of communication and collecting migrant data to speed up the processing of work permits and the transition to self-sufficiency,” the mayor added.

“The Chicago delegation will also share relevant information about the extreme housing and weather conditions currently facing asylum seekers in Chicago, and the enormous challenges facing those without verified sponsors.”

The delegation will reportedly report to Johnson on its findings and plan a follow-up trip.

It comes after DailyMail.com revealed Chicago is providing $9,000 in rental assistance to migrants needing temporary housing – after paying a medical company as much as $7.2 million to staff shelters for just one week.

To free up much-needed space in shelters, the state of Illinois is helping cover the costs of temporary housing for migrants, including $9,000 in rental subsidies over six months, Chicago’s Deputy Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas told Fox32. The money includes help with moving costs and a starter package to furnish apartments.

During the month of August, more than 232,000 migrants crossed the US-Mexico border – and it is estimated that up to two million migrants have crossed this year

Stunning images have shown large numbers of migrants crossing difficult terrain and wading through the Rio Grande River on their way across the southern border

The city has allocated $4 million to help migrants find temporary housing, and the state has contributed another $38 million. It is unclear how many migrants are currently benefiting from the program.

Meanwhile, a new report has revealed that Kansas-based company Favorite Healthcare Staffing billed the city more than $7.2 million to staff migrant shelters for just four weeks, as reported by NBC 5.

Chicago has already spent $60 million on workforce shelters, including $1.4 million on the former Wadsworth School, $1.6 million on the Inn of Chicago and $1.2 million on the Social Club shelter.

And the situation isn’t getting any better as more and more buses from Texas arrive. Last week, another 41 buses arrived carrying asylum seekers who had crossed the US-Mexico border.

Most of the migrants arriving in Chicago in the past year have come from Texas, largely led by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.