Chicago has absorbed more than 30,000 Ukrainian refugees over the last 18 months with little controversy, but the arrival of 19,000 Latino migrants over roughly the same period has triggered a crisis in the city.

Why it matters: Experts say looking at the circumstances under which each group arrived could offer clues for improving the situation.

Axios asked immigration experts and aid groups about what made these arrivals different:

1. Ukrainian refugees have an easier path to resettlement in the U.S.

• Most Ukrainian arrivals came after being sponsored by U.S. citizens through the federal Uniting for Ukraine program, which offers temporary residency, a Social Security card and immediate work authorization.
• Many Latino migrants recently sent to Chicago from U.S.-Mexico border towns — mostly from Venezuela — arrive without legal status, some with the intention to apply for asylum. These avenues do not involve sponsors nor grant immediate work permits.
• Those who apply for asylum don't qualify for work permits until 150 days after they file their application. A new program allows some Venezuelans to apply for faster work permits.

2. Chicago already had a large Ukrainian American community and social service organization, the Selfreliance Association, when Ukrainian refugees arrived.

• Chicago's smaller and newer Venezuelan community lacks such roots and existing structures.
• Some religious, mutual aid and legal aid groups are trying to step in, but their resources are strained.

3. Latino arrivals can face discrimination, some experts told Axios.

• "There's also a racial component," González, a senior fellow at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, told WBEZ last month.
• "There is a populace in the country of white supremacists who have no problem bringing in more Ukrainians, but do have problems bringing in more Central Americans, Venezuelans, Asians and Haitians — because they fear the demographic transformation of the country."

Context: Ukrainian refugees fled here after Russia's invasion, a crisis in which the U.S. is playing a major role supporting Ukraine.

• The roots of Venezuelan emigration are more complicated, with some arguing that U.S. sanctions have exacerbated it by further destabilizing the economy.

What they're saying: "The Uniting for Ukraine program is being looked [by the feds] at as a model for future immigration to the U.S." Pavlo Bandriwsky, vice president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America's Illinois chapter, tells Axios.

• "Because it provides certain support and responsibility so people aren't just thrown into tents and told, 'Fend for yourself.'"

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The number of monthly abortions in Illinois has sharply increased after the Supreme Court spiked Roe v. Wade, a first-of-its-kind study finds.

Why it matters: The new count from the Society of Family Planning is the first to encompass the full year since the SCOTUS ruling.

By the numbers: Illinois saw 5,530 abortions in April 2022, and 8,040 were performed in June 2023.

The bottom line: Illinois has some of the nation's most protective laws on reproductive health care, drawing people from more restrictive Midwest states.

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The Bulls kick off their 2023-24 season tonight at the United Center, hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If you haven't followed the Bulls recently, here's a quick primer you can use if you find yourself at an opening night party.

What's happening: The Bulls are back. Well, the same Bulls are back. While other teams in the East spent the offseason trading for superstars, Chicago stood pat, seemingly content with another run at the play-in tournament.

• The Bulls have missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.

Reality check: The Bulls are snake-bitten. They have been patiently waiting for superstar point guard Lonzo Ball to return from a knee injury he suffered in 2020, but three surgeries later and he is still sidelined.

• A quick "It's like D Rose all over again," will signal to your friends that you know Bulls history, which is what Bulls fans live for.

Zoom in: The coaching staff wants the team to shoot more three-pointers. The Bulls were dead last in the league on three-point attempts last year, so that tracks.

• They brought in Jevon Carter from Milwaukee and promoted Coby White to the starting lineup.
• "Will the NBA let Craig Hodges come back?" Now you are mixing history AND politics, which is well-rounded.

Bench mob: The Bulls will rely on their stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to carry the team, but they still have Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu and spark plug Alex Caruso coming off the bench.

• "Hey, they ain't Cliff Levinston, but these guys will do."

The bottom line: Take a bow. You just got invited back for the next party.

🧁 Wicker Park's famed Alliance Bakery is expanding, opening a location in West Town next month. (Block Club)

A man was charged with a hate crime and aggravated battery after he was involved in a pepper spray incident outside a Israeli-Hamas war protest in Skokie this past weekend. (ABC 7)

🏡 Chicago home sales were down 11% in September. (Tribune)

📅 Upcoming events around the city.

Wrigleyville Halloween Crawl - Chicago's BIGGEST Halloween Party at Wrigleyville's Best Bars on Oct. 28:

• The historic Wrigleyville neighborhood will be full of party-seekers creeping and crawling from bar to bar.
• Throw on your best costume and join in on all of the frightening fun for this haunted holiday at the biggest Halloween Party in Chicago.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

We're down to the final four in our attempt to identify the best local news anchor in Chicago history. Yesterday's winners weren't surprising:

Now the road gets rockier for voters:

Carol Marin vs. Ron Magers: This could easily be the finals. These two co-anchors helmed the NBC 5 news throughout the '80s, until Jerry Springer ruined it.

John Drury vs. Bill Kurtis: Kurtis has yet to run into any competition in this tournament, but he will now take on Drury, one of the most trusted anchors in Chicago's history.

🗳 Vote here.

We continue our own Halloween display this week, featuring dressed up houses before Halloween.

• Today, we feature Janis M's spooky exterior in the South Loop Prairie District!

📫 Hit reply to share awesome Halloween decorations.