West Cook News

Northlake Mayor Jeffrey T. Sherwin has joined the ongoing debate about state grants for migrant resettlement, questioning the purpose of such funding in light of concerns raised by Glen Ellyn Village President Mark Senak's recent disclosures. Sherwin voiced doubts about the intended use of the grant offered to Glen Ellyn.

"I don't believe the grant is for permanent resettling of migrants, it is for temporary housing like Chicago is doing", Sherwin told West Cook News. "Oak Park is taking some of this money, who else, I don't know. We are not."

Sherwin's remarks were made after Senak revealed that his community had been offered an $11 million state grant to facilitate the permanent resettlement of undocumented immigrants.

"So you understand what I believe that $11 million is for us to have migrants come to Glen Ellyn and locate here and settle here and remain here, and what that would entail to accomplish that," Sherwin said.

State Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn) brought this issue to light when she informed the village about the availability of funds for this purpose, according to DuPage Policy Journal.

The question of where to house undocumented immigrants flooding into the area prompted Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to seek assistance from suburban areas with the city’s immigrant crisis.

"He’s asking us all for support, calling out the federal government," Burr Ridge’s Mayor Gary Grasso said of Johnson during an interview with NBC Chicago.

Grasso also noted that Johnson specifically asked for increased funding support for shelter and services for migrants, as well as a demand from Washington.

This request comes as drop-offs of undocumented immigrants in the Chicagoland area began spiking in December 2023. Concerns have escalated due to reports that over 34,000 undocumented immigrants have arrived in Illinois since mid-2022, adding urgency to calls for stronger border control measures. Last fall, Illinois allocated $42.5 million in grant funds for municipalities to accommodate undocumented immigrants, with several cities including Lake County, Elgin, Oak Park, Urbana, and Chicago receiving assistance. In total, the state has allocated $500 million for immigrant care according to Capitol News Illinois.

During a Hinsdale Village Board meeting last month, where drop-offs were prohibited, officials reported being informed by a bus driver that such occurrences were expected to continue through March. The frequency of daily drop-offs throughout the state has varied, often exceeding 10 instances and at times approaching 800 people per day.