West Cook News

Oak Park has lifted restrictions that previously mandated bids on public contracts, enacting a "temporary suspension of purchasing requirements" in response to the escalating illegal immigrant crisis in the region. The municipality is also providing shelter for these immigrants by opening up its police station and undisclosed locations.

Oak Park announced the movements in a press release.

"The Village of Oak Park, under the authority of Village Manager Kevin J. Jackson, activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Wed., Nov. 1, putting in place established protocols in response to the evolving crisis involving asylum-seeking migrants and families in the community," Oak Park said in a press release. 

“During an emergency meeting of the Village Board on Thurs., Nov. 2, Village of Oak Park Trustees considered an emergency declaration as a procedural step in order to provide additional aid and support to asylum seekers residing in Oak Park.”

“The resolution, approved unanimously, calls for the temporary suspension of purchasing requirements such as formal bidding procedures and Board contract approvals when quick action is deemed necessary and when it is impractical to convene a Board meeting. This declaration is set to expire on Dec. 4.”

“Village of Oak Park staff is currently assisting at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church only, where over 100 migrants have been given shelter since early Wednesday morning. The Village of Oak Park and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church have been overwhelmed by the community’s generosity at the temporary site. However, officials are asking community members to pause those generous forms of support directly to the site at this time. Short-term plans are now in place to cover the needs of these asylum seekers until other accommodations can be secured.”

“Following the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Wednesday, the Village’s emergency response plan to this situation remains in development. Once solidified, officials expect to put out a call to the community for ongoing support to address the needs of the migrant population.”

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points out that public bidding and transparency are instrumental in restricting the misuse of taxpayer funds. As per their "Competition and Procurement" guidelines: “The public sector is subject to transparency requirements and generally is constrained by legislation and detailed administrative regulations and procedures on public procurement.” Notably, these rules are aimed at averting any abuse of power by the public sector. The Village's decision to bypass such requirements due to the current crisis will remain effective until early December.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Oak Park's measures have been adopted with a view to accommodate over 100 families who had been living in makeshift tents as temperatures began plummeting dangerously low. A local volunteer group initially brought this situation into focus when they noted that overnight temperatures were falling drastically low. Subsequently, local staff embarked on a mission to explore viable solutions for overnight shelter, eventually housing many of these families temporarily in a local church. The current arrangement is a stop-gap measure, as a comprehensive emergency response plan is still under development.

Since August 2022, over 17,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in Chicago, according to the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. This influx has precipitated a housing crisis that has led to re-housing the immigrant population in suburban communities and spurred efforts to revoke the "sanctuary" status held by both Chicago and the state of Illinois. This would allow deportations for unauthorized populations.