Up and down the state of Illinois, local elected officials are evaluating measures to block the acceptance of non-citizen migrants to their communities amid reports that buses from Texas continue to arrive.
On Saturday, about 90 non-citizen migrants were dropped off in suburban Elmhurst. The Chicago Sun-Times reports some of them then boarded a train for Chicago. Meanwhile, reports indicate signs along Interstate 55 say “no migrant buses welcome” at certain exits.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has announced taxpayer-funded grants for local communities willing to take in non-citizen migrant new arrivals, but some communities are rejecting that.
Last month in Homer Township, southwest of Chicago near Joliet, board member Mike Bonomo read a measure that passed resolving to not accept such activity.
“Homer Township has limited taxpayer resources we are obligated to use in service to those individuals, our lawful constituents,” Bonomo read at November’s township meeting. “Homer Township will not accept nor provide taxpayer-funded services to migrants and we shall return any individuals sent our way by elected officials from sanctuary cities or states to them.”
In Effingham County, board Vice Chairman David Campbell said while they have open arms for legal migration, they’re preparing a measure similar to Homer Township for their central Illinois community.
“We just don’t want to see our taxpayers have to burden any of the medical or any of the other expenses that goes along with housing or anything else,” Campbell told The Center Square Wednesday.
He said northern communities should weigh whether to follow suit.
“It’s already started and they didn’t get on top of it soon enough but I don’t think it’s too late to address it,” Campbell said.
Pritzker’s office said the total amount of state taxpayer funds spent on the influx of non-citizen migrants is at about $478 million.