It what feels like the first few ripples of water that precede a flood, communities up and down the Fox Valley are beginning to experience the effects of the migrant crisis at the southern border.
Ever since the City of Chicago passed ordinances in mid-November prohibiting buses carrying migrants from making unscheduled drop-offs within the city, an increasing number of such drop-offs have occurred at suburban locations throughout the region, sparking concerns over safety and the ultimate disposition of migrants going forward.
Elgin, Aurora, Naperville and Elgin have all had unannounced drop-offs within their communities so far, typically at or near Metra stations where they are provided tickets to transit immediately to Chicago.
The development has triggered various municipalities to scramble to update procedures and, in some cases, to enact ordinances similar to Chicago’s to deter bus operators from unannounced drop-offs. Aurora has already enacted such an ordinance, and the Elburn village board will vote on something similar today.
Frustration at the Biden administration’s tolerance of the seemingly endless stream of migrants crossing the border unchecked has become a hot-button issue nationwide ever since Texas governor Greg Abbott (R) commenced shipping new migrants northward to self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities” like Chicago and New York, where the influx has exterted pressure on those cities’ ability to provide basic services and has strapped municipal budgets.
According to data compiled by the New York Post from Syracuse University’s TRAC immigration database and US Customs and Border Protection, a stunning 3.8 million people have entered the United States over the border in the last three years. Of that amount, approximately 1.5 entered without detection by border officials.
The Kane County GOP Central Committee recently issued a press release decrying the escalating crisis.
“Today, Kane County witnessed yet another incident where busloads of migrants were callously dumped here from the US Border without prior warning or care for their well-being. Originally destined for Chicago, these buses are now rerouted due to new regulations prohibiting migrant drop-offs in the city. Consequently, migrants are being left in various suburban areas across Chicago without any coordinated plan or notification to the respective cities. This constant, thoughtless dumping all over Kane County is demanding immediate action.
“The flood of migrants streaming into our country, all thanks to the Biden administration’s wide-open border policy, is enraging. They’re flooding in from South and Central America, China, Yemen, Syria, Haiti—mostly men, and shockingly, many women and kids among them are getting caught up in human trafficking and exploitation. This is not an act of compassion but a systemic failure resulting in a criminal operation.
“This issue is no longer confined to the distant border; it’s happening right here in our neighborhoods. Recently, Elburn witnessed the arrival of 38 migrants without prior warning. Elgin struggles with a tent city involved in a tragic murder, becoming a frequent site for police intervention. Aurora had to convene an emergency meeting to pass an ordinance after migrants were dropped off on the streets without any city notification. Worse still, taxpayer money was used to transport these migrants via trains to Chicago due to bus drivers’ fear of penalties and bus impounding. Crime rates are on the rise across Kane County due to these senseless and dangerous policies.”
Congress is in the process of negotiating new immigration provisions as part of its $110 billion funding package for aid to Ukraine. According to various reports, negotiations are centered around GOP demands for much stricter border integrity versus Democrat emphasis on effciently processing asylum-seekers once here. While both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have recently expressed optimism about the status of the talks, agreement on a final bill remains highly uncertain.
