La Salle County official outlines temporary ‘all hazards’ plan for migrant buses

After two and a half hours of discussion, a La Salle County Board committee Thursday affirmed the wording of a resolution to be passed on to the full board for its consideration, including the words declaring La Salle County to be a nonsanctuary county.

The measure will be voted on at the Feb. 8 meeting of the full County Board.

Board member Tina Busch, R-Tonica, made a motion seconded by board Chairman Don Jensen, R-Deer Park, that the words of the resolution be amended to include “nonsanctuary county” and “illegal” in reference to “immigrants.”

The amended text was voted on and passed by a 3-2 margin.

He has a plan in place [that] if this were to happen, it’s at our fingertips, so this resolution will be a part of that and will hopefully pass the full board when it meets Feb. 8.”

—  County Board member and committee Chair Jill Bernal, D-Peru

The resolution then was approved by a 4-1 vote by the Committee on Appointment and Legislation and Rules to be sent to the full board for discussion, possible further amendment and approval.

“There were no surprises [Thursday] – none whatsoever,” said board member and committee Chair Jill Bernal, D-Peru. “They just wanted some language inserted to make the resolution a little stronger, and I’m fine with that. … Maybe the full board won’t like the way we amended it. If so, we’ll work from there.

“I wanted to give everybody a chance to speak, and that’s why it took so long. It’s that important an issue that we wanted everyone to have input on it.”

[ Why are migrants coming to northern Illinois? Here's what we know ]

The ordinance recently voted on by Grundy County declaring itself a nonsanctuary county was referenced several times during the meeting, in part because it was a larger, more detailed document several pages long.

However, it was noted that the Grundy County ordinance included an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Morris, among other things levying fines and empowering police action within legal limits that the single-page La Salle County resolution does not include.

Many of the committee members’ concerns seemed to be answered by La Salle County Emergency Management Agency Director Fred Moore, who outlined his agency’s “all-hazards” plan that contains action should buses try to drop off migrants locally.

Keeping them on the bus and sending it on its way to Chicago “would be ideal,” he said, but there is a plan should the drop-off be made in the early-morning hours.

Moore said he has contacts who can provide temporary mass care that would include volunteers and donated shelter, food and a language interpreter until the transportation he also has secured can move them on their way to Chicago.

There, they can find more permanent care, financial assistance, apply for proper documentation, etc.

He reminded the committee of the significant cost should one or multiple migrants die from exposure, adding that, at this time, there are no federal funds available to help with that or any other facet of the migrants’ care and transportation.

“We have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario,” Moore said. “This solution is temporary – from hours to a day. … The most humane thing we can do is get them to Chicago.”

“Fred did a great job explaining what he can do, and that makes me more comfortable also,” Bernal said. “I was very impressed with the amount of information he had, and that’s good to know. … He has a plan in place [that] if this were to happen, it’s at our fingertips, so this resolution will be a part of that and will hopefully pass the full board when it meets Feb. 8.”

Several committee members and some members of the audience spoke at the meeting, urging the committee to take action, with public safety foremost in their minds.

Under federal law, migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. are allowed to be in the country as their residency status is considered.

Migrants arriving in northern Illinois cities is the latest in a trend seen over the past year as Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration transports groups crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to Democratic-led cities such as Chicago, The Associated Press has reported.

Chicago city leaders, however, have since imposed penalties of their own on unscheduled bus drop-offs, saying the abrupt nature of the drop-offs doesn’t allow the city to adequately prepare to house those in need.

As a result of these new rules in Chicago, a number of buses have left migrants in the Chicago suburbs, including in communities with railroad lines connecting to the city.

La Salle County is connected to the city through Interstate 80 and an Amtrak railroad line.