West Cook News

Oak Park has recently obtained substantial funding to facilitate the resettlement of undocumented immigrants within its community. This marks a crucial development in addressing the ongoing immigration crisis in the region. Village President Vicki Scaman highlighted the Village of Oak Park’s initiative towards rehousing undocumented immigrants in the community.

“You can find information regarding the Village of Oak Park asylum seeker and migrant response on this webpage of the Village’s website. Thank you for reaching out,” Scaman told West Cook News.

The Oak Park Village Board approved the submission of a grant application to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, which resulted in an acceptance of $1,944,000 in funding to support the resettlement of undocumented immigrants in Oak Park. This decision was made after the board declared an emergency disaster resolution on Jan. 23, which facilitated streamlined procedures for urgent actions to assist undocumented immigrants.

Northlake Mayor Jeffrey T. Sherwin shared his views on the controversy surrounding state grants for resettling undocumented immigrants. He pointed out Oak Park’s acceptance of funding for this purpose while Northlake chose not to participate. According to a previous report by West Cook News, Sherwin also expressed doubts about the intended use of the grant.

In November 2023, Oak Park arranged temporary housing for 160 undocumented immigrants, moving them from local churches to Carleton of Oak Park Hotel and West Cook YMCA due to colder weather conditions. The Oak Park Village Board declared an emergency disaster resolution and allocated $300,000 for support services such as language interpreters and medical assistance. Additional police patrolling was provided during this temporary measure.

“The migrants are staying in the motel, so it’s a separate area,” a front desk clerk at Carleton of Oak Park Hotel said when asked about the hotel’s new guests, West Cook News previously reported.

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson's concerns about where to house illegal immigrants led him to seek help from suburban areas with Chicago's immigration crisis.

“He’s asking us all for support, calling out the federal government,” Burr Ridge’s Gary Grasso told NBC Chicago.

Grasso also noted that Johnson specifically asked for increased funding support, shelter, and services for the migrants, along with assistance from the federal government.

The request is a response to a surge in drop-offs of undocumented immigrants in the Chicagoland area starting in December 2023. Concerns have grown due to reports that over 34,000 undocumented immigrants have arrived in Illinois since mid-2022. This urgency has amplified calls for stronger border control measures. Last fall, Illinois allocated $42.5 million in grant funds to municipalities for housing and supporting undocumented immigrants. Lake County, Elgin, Oak Park, Urbana, and Chicago were among the recipients. In total, the state has earmarked $500 million for the care of undocumented immigrants according to Capitol News Illinois.