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1,177 asylum seekers bused to Chicago by Texas governor

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Illinois

* First, an update on the Burr Ridge Mayor, via Patch…

Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso earlier this month suggested the village had the power to determine which guests local hotels could accept under its village license.

A lawyer by trade, Grasso has not publicly cited the village’s legal authority. […]

Patch could find no provisions in the village code in which the mayor or Village Board could require a hotel to reject certain groups of paying customers. In this case, the state paid for the lodging. […]

Grasso did not cite any specific legal authority in which the village could compel the hotel to reject migrants or lodgers who were there as the result of “politically charged events.”

* NBC5…

As of Sept. 24, Chicago has accepted 1,177 asylum-seekers who have arrived from Texas on buses sent by Abbott since the first bus arrived in the city on Aug. 31. […]

According to city officials, many children and infants are among those seeking refuge in the United States, many of whom traveled through several countries en route to Texas.

“Illinois is a welcoming state. We are committed to assisting each family and individual, providing human services with respect and dignity. We expect more arrivals to be welcomed and the City will continue to provide daily updates on those arrivals,” city spokesperson Joseph Dutra said.

Dutra added that upon arrival, migrants are provided immediate shelter and support with in-depth case management and connections to city and community-based services and agencies.

* Evanston Round Table…

Earlier this month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office and the Illinois Department of Human Services held conversations with Evanston leaders about housing some of the more than 1,000 refugees that have been bused to Illinois, according to City Manager Luke Stowe.

At the moment, Evanston’s shelters are full and most hotels are booked with Northwestern football games and other events coming up this fall, Stowe said. So no arrangements have yet been set.

But Illinois officials, including Pritzker, expect more migrants to arrive in the coming days and weeks, and the state is looking for Chicago and surrounding suburbs to help provide food, clothing and shelter until these people have a chance to get on their feet and find more permanent housing.

“We’ve had multiple discussions with the Governor’s office and IDHS in September about whether Evanston could help house migrants,” Stowe told the RoundTable. “One of the challenges is that the request is typically for 60 to 90 days of housing, which is difficult for our hotel partners due to Northwestern events and demand for hotel rooms. We are not currently housing any migrants, but we expect future requests and are preparing for it.”

* WCBU…

The City of Peoria is preparing for the potential arrival of asylum seekers in the coming weeks. [..]

“At that point, we started putting our thinking caps on,” [Mayor Rita Ali] said. “We scheduled an emergency meeting for this week with, really, many of the same public and private agencies that responded to COVID and had an emergency response plan and really a system for dealing with that here.”

Latin American language speakers will be needed to serve as cultural connections. The migrants also will need access to shelter, food and health care. Peoria does not have an official welcoming center, and Ali said some private shelters are already full. […]

She said the city was told a bus of migrants sent to Peoria would most likely transport around 50 people. The city would hopefully receive advance notice of at least three hours, the mayor said.

* WMBD…

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said while the city is not necessarily inviting buses of migrants, the potential for their arrival is certainly present. City leaders and other key community stakeholders are developing a game plan if migrants are brought to the area.

“They often get off the bus needing medical attention, I know that’s not the way you should treat human beings,” Ali said.

While plans for migrants to be sent to Central Illinois are not imminent, Peoria leaders are getting ready in case that changes.

“We want to be prepared, we don’t want to be blindsided by that,” Ali said.

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 12:49 pm

Comments

= Grasso has not publicly cited the village’s legal authority =

Likely because it has none.

“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong. The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 19:33-34)

Comment by JoanP Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 12:57 pm
I really do think they should investigate whether or not Abbott and Desantis are violating any laws with this nonsense.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:04 pm
Hopefully we get three hours notice — what a sad state of affairs. What, do they reroute the bus when more than halfway here? Designed by Texas to make it difficult for everybody

Comment by Walker Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:13 pm
If the news accounts are correct, many asylum seekers are fleeing persecution from Columbia’s Communist regime, with many of them formerly middle-class. How ironic that a State controlled by an “anti-communist” political party has no room for them, as Florida made room decades ago for asylum seekers decades fleeing Cuban persecution.

Comment by Ares Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:18 pm
- Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso earlier this month suggested the village had the power to determine which guests local hotels could accept -

What a disgrace. How people like this can sleep at night is beyond me.

Comment by Excitable Boy Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:24 pm
Welcome to Illinois.

Comment by Franklin Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:29 pm
Great point, Ares. I agree completely.

Comment by Jerry Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:31 pm
If the governor of Texas had any interest in the well-being of the migrants, he would coordinate the bus deliveries with the Governor and Mayor of the receiving state and city. governor abbot’s actions speak louder than any words.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:52 pm
Gary Grasso is aware he already lost the last two Republican primaries in which he ran right? Or is this silliness a full-time thing?

Comment by Nuke The Whales Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 1:52 pm
Mayor Lightfoot/Governor Pritzker: Please encourage our newest Illinoisans to relocate to the small towns downstate. Plenty of housing and job opportunities. We need the people.

Comment by Papa2008 Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 2:03 pm
“Columbia’s Communist regime”

I’m nitpicking, I believe you mean Venezuela.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 2:08 pm
If local authorities were to (a) accept the immigrants who are being trafficked, and the (b) confiscate the buses that are being used for trafficking, I think it would make a difference. If bus operators are participating in the trafficking of people, they are culpable.

Comment by H-W Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 2:14 pm
How much notice do the red states get

None

Comment by Nick Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 2:27 pm
“How much notice do the red states get

None”

What does this even mean though? Like I understand it as a parent who deals with squabbling children. But I don’t understand the meaning you’re trying to convey as it relates to public policy or tax payer funded activities. As it relates to those things, the intentional lack of communication seems designed to sow chaos. I’d think that wouldn’t be a preferred policy outcome for any sane person operating in good faith.

Comment by SWIL_Voter Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 2:35 pm
Put personalities and politics aside for a moment.

Imagine a Texas governor reaching out to fellow big state leaders and saying, hey, I’ve got thousands of refugees fleeing oppression with thousands more on the way and the truth is our communities and resources are getting stretched and in some cases overwhelmed.

I’m reaching out to see if your state is able and willing to join us in this relief mission. We can coordinate transportation and other logistics, and together show these arriving refugees … and the rest of America … what is so great about this country and the people who live here.

Instead, we get a narrow politician using men, women and children at their lowest point for nothing more than a political stunt with zero compassion for their very real needs of these refugees.

There are ways to be a leader and it shouldn’t always involve the base need to be mean to someone else. Life and leadership aren’t, or shouldn’t be, cheap-shot mean tweets.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 3:01 pm
Trying to force hotels not to accept people based on race/nationality is 100% illegal under federal law.

Comment by Homebody Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 3:11 pm
==How much notice do the red states get

None==

Yeah, and Texas ought not to act like failed petrostates presided over by corrupt dictators.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 3:34 pm
A mayor with a “get things done” mindset would be focused on making sure community resources are being lined up for the people arriving so they can be more quickly transitioned to something more stable

Comment by In 630 Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 3:50 pm
Has Pritzker or Lightfoot been trying to get federal money for housing asylum seekers? I’ve seen quotes to media/public saying the federal government should take charge, but not specific requests sent to the Biden Administration.

Comment by Blake Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 4:11 pm
Michelle Flaherty summing it up perfectly. He’d rather own the libs than be part of a coordinated solution. SMH

Comment by Original Rambler Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 4:57 pm
“If the governor of Texas had any interest in the well-being of the migrants, he would coordinate the bus deliveries with the Governor and Mayor of the receiving state and city.”
That right there.

Comment by btowntruth from forgottonia Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 8:42 pm
2 million encounters at the border this year alone. 1177 divided by 2 million is .0006 percent.

Comment by How high Monday, Sep 26, 22 @ 9:14 pm