Housing
Why Immigrants Are Leaving Chicago
The city has long depended on an influx of immigrants, but they’ve stopped moving there—and the ones who already live there often can’t stay.
In 2015, Chicago and surrounding areas saw its first net population loss in decades, and it was a doozy: 11,324 residents. The year after, that loss ballooned to 19,570.
At the heart of the problem is Cook County, which topped the list of population losers in 2016. Why? Well, among other reasons, fewer immigrants are moving to the city. And many of the ones who currently live there—who have kept the city up and running—can’t afford to stay on. Add to that the Trump administration’s effort to limit legal and illegal immigration, and the decline might accelerate, worsening the city’s already-dire economic woes.