West Cook News

The Chicagoland area is grappling with an increase in busloads of illegal immigrants being dropped off in various municipalities, leading to concerns about the allocation of police resources.

Retired former Riverside police chief, Thomas Weitzel, expressed his apprehension, highlighting that numerous suburban police agencies have deployed full-time details at their railroad stations to address the migrant drop-offs.

“Numerous suburban police agencies now have full-time details at their RR stations to address the migrants' drop-offs. This is on OT or pulls police officers off patrol to do this detail. This is not how police resources should be used,” Weitzel said on X.

In recent days busloads of illegal immigrants have been reported arriving across the Chicagoland area.

Several municipalities, including Lockport, Joliet and others, have reported an increase in buses disembarking passengers at Metra stations and other locations throughout the county, according to Shaw Local.

The Will County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) issued a statement outlining plans to coordinate with local municipalities as buses carrying Latin American migrants from Texas continue to arrive unexpectedly.

The statement from Will County EMA Director Allison Anderson emphasized the coordination of information between public safety agencies, the state of Illinois, and the city of Chicago, with the priority being the humane transportation of asylum-seekers to the official Chicago landing zone.

In response to a surge in migrant arrivals, Chicago passed an ordinance on December 13, impounding buses that do not provide prior notice of their arrival or drop migrants at designated landing zones, along with imposing fines on bus companies.

However, this has resulted in buses being dropped off in suburban areas, particularly at Metra stations.

Lockport and other communities have issued emergency orders to address the situation, with Lockport's order granting police powers to fine and impound buses lacking proper clearance.

The Village of New Lenox also issued an executive order mandating permits for unscheduled intercity buses, outlining strict rules for approval and imposing fines for violations.

In a recent incident, about 30 migrants were dropped off at a Metra train station in Lockport without prior notice, according to CBS 2 News.

The unannounced drop-offs came as the Aurora City Council, responding to an influx of migrant buses, approved an ordinance designed to regulate the arrival of migrants by requiring transportation companies to provide advance notice.

The move came as the Chicago suburb received six buses of migrants in two days last week, prompting concerns and challenges for local authorities.

The Aurora ordinance, effective immediately upon passage, mandates that transportation companies notify the community services department at least five days in advance of a bus arrival.

Companies must also submit a detailed plan outlining how migrants will be cared for, the number of individuals arriving, and other relevant details.

Failure to comply with these requirements could result in fines of up to $1,000 per person on the bus, along with additional fees and possible impoundment of the bus, mirroring Chicago's regulations.

In another recent incident, a group of 38 migrants transported by bus from Texas were dropped off in Fox River Grove, approximately 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, after being misled to believe they had arrived in the city, according to WGN-TV.

The incident unfolded early last Saturday morning, leading to swift action by local authorities.

The migrants, finding themselves in Fox River Grove instead of Chicago, were provided access to a warming shelter by Fox River Grove police, who later arranged train tickets for the group to continue their journey to the intended destination.

The Village of Fox River Grove addressed the incident in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.

The village pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to address the incident and implement measures to prioritize the welfare of all involved parties.

The Elmhurst Police Department also noted they assisted with two busloads of migrants, totaling 91 individuals who reportedly entered the U.S. in Texas, were dropped off at the Elmhurst train station on Dec. 24, the Daily Herald reported.

The Illinois Department of Human Services disclosed that the state is reserving additional hotel rooms to accommodate those dropped off in Elmhurst.

Approximately 30 hotel rooms were made available on Saturday night, with plans to offer more rooms for up to 200 people on Sunday. The Illinois Department of Human Services is collaborating with Chicago officials to secure hotel rooms, and the city is providing transportation for the migrants.

Those temporarily housed in hotels are expected to be relocated to a converted pharmacy in the Little Village neighborhood once construction is completed in January.

In another development, a bus left approximately 40 people at a truck stop in Kankakee on Thursday morning, prompting efforts by the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office to identify those responsible for leaving the migrants at the gas station.

“The passengers, hailing from Venezuela, were left without money, food, adequate clothing, and were under the impression that they had reached their destination,” the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, which responded to a report at the gas station around 7:30 a.m., said on Facebook.

Simultaneously, the Village of Elburn received its first bus of migrants from Texas, with 38 individuals showing up at the Metra station.

While some migrants had train tickets, several were picked up at the station. Elburn Village President Jeffrey Walter announced a special meeting of the Village Board next week to discuss potential options.