Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday offered a peek at his plans to establish migrant camps throughout the city and move nearly 1,600 currently living inside Chicago police stations into large tents before winter — his administration’s boldest effort yet to get a handle on a humanitarian crisis that has left local officials vexed.

       The mayor said he will “move with expediency” to transition asylum-seekers into “more suitable” base camps as migrants wait for spots in city-run shelters. As of a week ago, 1,576 migrants were living in Chicago police stations and another 418 were sleeping inside O’Hare International Airport, according to city data.

       Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during a news conference in the Roseland area of Chicago on Sept. 8, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)