Journal & Topics Media Group

Migrants From Texas Border Sent From Chicago To Elk Grove Village — With Little Warning

Johnson Calls Out Lightfoot As ‘Inept’ With ‘Haphazard’ Response To Situation

Elk Grove Village Hall, also known as the Charles Zettek Municipal Complex, (Journal file photo)

Ninety Venezuelan migrants, bused from Texas, arrived at an Elk Grove Village hotel today (Saturday).

The migrants arrived yesterday at Union Station and with little notice, were transported to Elk Grove Village today. 

“On the morning of Saturday, September 10, a busload carrying approximately 90 migrants who entered the United States at the Texas border will arrive in Elk Grove Village.  They will be dropped off (at a local) hotel. Some will stay at the hotel indefinitely while others may find shelter elsewhere,” a written statement on the situation issued Saturday by Elk Grove Village officials said. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has sent several busloads of migrants from the Texas border to Chicago and other sanctuary cities. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot then sent the bus on to Elk Grove Village, Elk Grove Village Mayor Criag Johnson said. 

Johnson called Lightfoot “inept” and the “worst mayor I’ve had to deal with in 26 years as mayor.” He also called the handling of the situation, “haphazard.” 

He said Elk Grove Village is not a sanctuary city and said if Lightfoot wants Chicago to be praised as a sanctuary city, she should deal with the consequences of that as well. 

“The news also came with no direction from state, county or city of Chicago authorities with respect to how municipalities are expected to handle this unanticipated situation,” a village statement said. 

“The bus was due to arrive sometime on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 9,” a village statement said. “But its arrival was delayed after village officials began making inquiries to local, county, state and federal agencies to gain a better understanding of the situation.” 

Johnson said Cook County offiicals would take responsibility for the migrants now that they are in the village. 

Johnson said he and other village officials scrambled upon learning about the impending arrival at 1:30 p.m. Friday, contacting Chicago, Cook County, state and federal officials, who Johnson said gave conflicting information. 

 Johnson said he spoke with officials with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, including top officials with the agency’s Southwest Region, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Human Services, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security.

“After having spent the last 24 hours asking tough questions and getting honest answers, we are satisfied that the federal agencies tasked with performing health and safety screening on the migrants are doing their job.  We have confidence in their ability to manage this situation capably,” Johnson said. “While the village has no official role in managing this situation, we will continue to stay in very close contact with these agencies to ensure that any concerns we have are addressed fully and in a timely manner.”

Johnson issued a robocall to residents about the situation Saturday saying, “While the village is now well-informed about what is taking place, I cannot tell you how disappointing it is to see the haphazard way in which this has been handled by county, state, and city of Chicago officials. The village received no advanced notice that the migrants would be arriving here.  We received no information about when the bus would arrive, where the migrants would stay or whose responsibility it was to provide food or medical care. Only after we began making phone calls and asking tough questions did we get the answers we were looking for.”

“Job number one for us is ensuring the health, safety and welfare of our residents and our entire community,” Johnson concluded. “We will stay on top of this situation on their behalf, hold responsible agencies accountable, and manage this issue in a way that keeps our residents safe and well-informed.”

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2 responses to “Migrants From Texas Border Sent From Chicago To Elk Grove Village — With Little Warning”

  1. Henrietta Saunders says:

    How can we help the migrants? They have suffered so much.

    • Anonymous says:

      You can take them all in since you love them soo much.Send them back to Chicago the sanctuary city that she claims to be not here we have our own people to worry about.

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