Sanctuary city ballot measure falls flat in Chicago City Council

Between the lines: The referendum's sponsors say the effort was meant to drive more fiscal accountability and gauge public mood on the city's migrant crisis.

• Yes, but: The original wording targeted the city's sanctuary city status, which has little to no relation to the migrant issue.

Reality check: Sanctuary city provisions apply to undocumented people, while most new arrivals are already federally protected as asylum seekers or those granted Temporary Protected Status.

The intrigue: Realizing that the wording didn't match the goals of the measure, referendum co-sponsor Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) tells Axios he tried to change it before the meeting.

• "I had a substitute ready to go that was more about the funding, but [the mayor's faction] didn't want to hear it, and that tells you they don't want to hear from the people."

The other side: "The vote showed that the people in Chicago believe in our sanctuary status, believe in our migrant mission and believe we are a city that is going to welcome everybody," progressive Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) told Axios after the vote.

Zoom out: The decision came just a day after the council voted to bolster Chicago's welcoming city ordinance and urge President Biden to extend work permits to the city's undocumented population.

What we're watching: Chicago officials are close to moving migrants out of all police stations and into temporary shelters. Just one near Pilsen is still housing migrants.

By the numbers: Roughly 320 people are currently awaiting shelter placement, down from 3,800 in mid-October.

• Officials have already impounded at least one bus for dropping off migrants outside of official hours and without a city permit, under a law passed Wednesday.
• The Department of Homeland Security tells Axios it has issued more than 480 work permits to Chicago-area migrants in recent weeks.