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Asylum-seeker coverage roundup

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Illinois

Highland Park and Deerfield joined the growing list of municipalities who have placed regulations on one-way buses dropping off 10 or more passengers.

While the ordinances are generic and apply to all one-way buses, no matter who the passengers are, the regulations come after municipalities around Chicago have experienced an influx of unscheduled buses dropping off groups of migrants at all hours of the day and night. […]

At the recommendation of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, suburban municipalities have started to approve regulations around when and where buses can drop off one-way passengers. The rules also seek advance communication from the bus companies about expected arrival date, times and a manifest of who is on the bus.

I checked and, while IEMA has been drafting some guidance, nothing has yet been officially sent to municipalities.

* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about the fact that home rule governments are imposing some restrictions on buses (whether or not it’s constitutional) while other governments cannot. So, should there be some uniformity across the state on this?…

That’s something that the legislature is looking at now and considering. It certainly seems like if one town can do it and another town can’t then we ought to have some uniformity. So that I know is being discussed in committees.

* Capitol News Illinois has a very good and wide-ranging story on what’s happening with the asylum-seekers, including this fact check…

On Tuesday, a group of four conservative lawmakers announced they were filing legislation that would repeal portions of the TRUST Act, a 2017 state law that bars local law enforcement agencies from participating in federal immigration enforcement, such as by working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or by detaining people based on their immigration status.

“Repealing the TRUST Act is absolutely required to solve the Illinois illegal immigration crisis and it’s the right thing to do for the citizens of this state,” Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, said in a statement.

Individuals seeking asylum, like many of the recently arrived migrants, are generally not subject to deportation through Immigrations and Customs Enforcement action.

Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Cherry Valley, also on Tuesday criticized the management of two state programs that offer Medicaid-style benefits to some noncitizen residents of Illinois. […]

The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs, which Syverson proposed cutting back, are designed for people who don’t have legal permission to be in the country and some others. Asylum seekers generally don’t qualify for those programs but do qualify for some federal benefits.

They’re not being serious people, but it’s not like anyone else has come up with a solution. Anyway, go read the rest.

* From Isabel…

NBC Chicago | Gov. Pritzker says housing migrants at hotels will not continue as officials work to combat crisis:

* Tribune | Texas transportation company sues Chicago for migrant bus restrictions: Wynne’s subcontractors have faced 95 separate lawsuits filed by the city for violating the new rules, each seeking $2,000 to $10,000 fines, said the company’s attorney, Michael Kozlowski, of the Chicago-based law firm Esbrook P.C. “It unlawfully interferes with the business and makes the business very difficult to run,” he said. “It’s certainly not chump change.”

* ABC Chicago | Migrants in Chicago: Texas bus company sues city over drop-off regulations: Wynne Transportation said in a federal lawsuit the rule interferes with interstate commerce and carries out “intentional discrimination” against the bus passengers. The mayor’s office said it does not comment on pending litigation.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville councilman proposes exploring system for local residents who want to host migrant families : Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom is adamant the city should not use taxpayer dollars to house or aid migrant families amid the continued and growing influx of asylum-seekers to the Chicago area. However, he would welcome Naperville families being given the option to host migrant families instead.

* WBEZ | Chicago migrants cook, wash windows and sell candy for cash without work permits: Like other migrants in Chicago, Fernandez is desperate for money. More than 34,000 migrants sent to Chicago from Texas and other states since August 2022 want financial stability. Many are seeking asylum and may qualify for work permits. But these applications can take a long time and not everyone knows how to navigate the process or where to go for help. Most migrants do not speak English, making it harder to find employment.

* CBS News | Man welcomes migrants into building he owns in Chicago: A lucrative investment in cryptocurrency provided the funding for the mission, while Chris Amatore himself provides the kindness. Amatore, chief executive officer of Manage Chicago, owns a South Shore neighborhood building with eight units and 60 beds – and he’s using one big heart to welcome in residents.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago educators ask lawmakers to step up support for schools seeing increase in migrant students: Gabriel Paez, an English learner program teacher at Cameron and chair of the Chicago Teachers Union bilingual education committee, estimate that about 200 migrant students at the school need access to more bilingual education, transportation, and basic needs — a reflection of the wider challenges presented by the arrival of thousands of migrant families to the city.

* NYT | Chicago Warms New Migrants in Idling Buses as the Weather Turns Nasty: A limit of 60 days on stays in city shelters would be set aside temporarily because of the snow and the predicted single-digit temperatures that would follow, the mayor said. “We’re not evicting new arrivals out in the cold this winter,” Mr. Johnson said at a news conference. “Our mission is to continue to live up to our values as we welcome new arrivals.” More than 14,500 migrants are in city shelters.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 18, 24 @ 1:18 pm

Comments

You should also add Arlington Heights to that list as well.

Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Thursday, Jan 18, 24 @ 3:27 pm