(WAND) - Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza has opened a portal on the IOC's website to show expenditures related to the influx of asylum seekers in Illinois.
“While the state is incurring expenses that, frankly, should be paid by the federal government, I want to make sure that taxpayers know exactly what the state is spending money on when it comes to the arrival and care of asylum seekers,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
The new portal can be found here: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/asylum-seekers.
On the portal site, users can see expenditures, including the vendor’s name, which agency paid the vendor, which state fund the money came from, contract information and the total amount paid.
Governor JB Pritzker announced last week that he is increasing the state’s spending commitment with an additional $182 million to help accommodate the migrants.
Most of them were bussed from Texas to Chicago by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, about 40,000 so far.
“As elected officials and citizens discuss the best policies to accommodate the influx of asylum seekers, having accurate numbers will benefit all involved,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has committed $70 million in county funds to the effort.
“I encourage Cook County and the city of Chicago to offer similar portals showing their spending on this important issue,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “We especially urge the federal government, which should bear the entirety of the responsibility for this issue, to disclose all its spending.”
The Comptroller’s directive requires state agencies to attach a special code for expenditures related to programs and benefits for asylum-seekers as of November this past year. So far, 11 vouchers totaling $31 million have been reported with more expected.
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