National Guard to assist migrant welcoming effort as Pritzker declares disaster
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that Illinois will continue to welcome migrants bused here from Texas as he blasted that state’s governor for relocating them to other cities without sharing information or providing resources.
Pritzker said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his agencies have been providing little notice for incoming migrants and has not responded to calls from Illinois’ agency heads. That’s meant Illinois has had “between three and 24 hours to find shelter for potentially 100 or more people.”
He said that has led to “a needlessly last-minute and complex process that is a heartless display of politics over people.”
“Let me be clear, while other states may be treating these vulnerable families as pawns, here in Illinois, we are treating them as people,” he said. “And when a person comes urgently seeking help, here in Illinois, we offer them a helping hand.”
Pritzker will deploy 75 National Guard members to aid with logistics and will issue a disaster proclamation aimed at expediting the flow of resources. The proclamation enables the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies to work with local governments to help migrants access transportation, emergency shelter, food, health screenings, medical assessments, treatments and other care.
Pritzker said the migrants are residing in the U.S. legally through the asylum-seeking process. They’re often fleeing dangerous situations, mostly from Central and South America, and they receive facial and fingerprint scans at the U.S. border that are “cross-checked against terrorist watch lists and criminal databases.”
“They have traveled for months, most often without enough food or medicine or support,” he said. “Many have literally walked from Venezuela to the U.S. border, seeking safety for themselves and for their families. These are people who have not been accused of doing anything wrong.”
Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Grace Hou said an 11th bus arrived early Wednesday. It brought the total number of migrants arriving in Illinois over the past two weeks to more than 500. Buses are arriving daily, Pritzker said.
“I have said to our team, we live in a state where our leaders are committed to providing a dignified welcome to our state,” Hou said. “That is not the question. The question is how we do it when the process is intentionally designed to cause confusion and utter chaos.”
Hou said when unannounced migrants arrive, Illinois officials have to “scramble” to provide for the basic needs of babies, pregnant women, children, teens, adults and older people. That includes ensuring access to housing, food, baby formula and health care.
“We’ve seen pregnant women literally ready to give birth who have been provided next to no support on the buses. Babies, elders, who continue to be treated in a callous manner until they get to the city of Chicago,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Pritzker said the state hears about arrivals only by unofficial means, such as Texas nonprofit organizations whose only information is that “they’ve just literally watched the bus drive by.” He called on Abbott to provide better notice.
Abbott launched the program in April when he issued a memo directing the state’s Department of Emergency Management “to begin coordinating the voluntary transportation” of immigrants who had been released from federal custody.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans – and Americans – at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” Abbott said in an Aug. 31 statement. “To continue providing much-needed relief to our small, overrun border towns, Chicago will join fellow sanctuary cities Washington, D.C., and New York City as an additional drop-off location.”
Hou said the other cities have warned that “this will not relent.”
Pritzker said once migrants arrive, city and state staff work with state-funded welcoming centers and nonprofits such as Catholic Charities and Salvation Army to “triage and determine their immediate needs, prioritizing infants, children, seniors and families.”
He and local lawmakers characterized the migrant situation as a national problem. Lightfoot said the situation in Chicago is a “manufactured crisis.”
“The normal lines of communication that we have with state leaders, particularly when it comes to issues of emergency management or law enforcement, (Abbott) has shut those off from us. So it is a manufactured crisis by ambush to be very clear,” she said.
Pritzker said Illinois is seeking federal help and his staff has been working with Illinois’ members of Congress and the White House to “make sure that we get the resources that we need,” such as federal appropriations that have been available in other states that have received migrants from Texas.
Lightfoot said resources going to Texas should be cut off and sent to cities welcoming migrants.
Pritzker said he believed the state has available resources in the IDHS budget to deal with the migrants in the near term.
“But absolutely, there is a point at which that we wouldn’t have the resources to continue, and you’ve seen thousands and thousands arriving in New York and in D.C., and it’s an enormous burden on those cities,” he said.
Lightfoot, whose city received most of the migrants, said it will continue to assist them.
“The reality is we have a finite number of resources here in the city of Chicago and the county of Cook,” she said. “And so there will be a need to expand the number of communities across the state that may have to step up.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Rashid calls college demonstrators ‘student heroes’
Spread the love. Rips Israel over “apartheid’ and ‘genocide’ . From staff reports The crisis in Palestine is taking a terrifying turn as the Israeli military is preparing to invade Rafah where more than one million Palestinians have been forced to after their homes in northern Gaza were destroyed, State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-21st) said…
Titanic memories haunt Worth Library
Spread the loveBy Kelly White This year marks the 112th anniversary of the Titanic’s fateful ship crossing. Bringing the ship back to life was the Worth Public Library on April 15 with a program called, The Haunted Titanic, with local historian Bob Trzeciak, who walked patrons through the history, the lasting impact, and why it…
Spring cleanup day in Bridgeview set for Saturday
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Any Bridgeview resident with clutter to clear will be busy Friday night, May 10. That’s when they will be putting all kinds of things on the parkway as the village prepares for its annual spring cleanup day set for Saturday, May 11. All items must be at the curb by…
Family of man killed in McCook struggling with his absence
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch On what would have been his 37th birthday, the family of Morales Ricardo Lopez gathered at his grave in Evergreen Park Cemetery. Lopez, of Blue Island, was gunned down in McCook early Feb. 17, leaving behind a widow and three children. His family, other relatives and friends gathered at his…
Southwest Symphony presents ‘American Song Book’
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Southwest Symphony Orchestra will perform “The American Song Book” this weekend at Trinity College in Palos Heights. The performance will feature Grammy nominated Helen Welch under the direction of David Crane at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Auditorium. Welch will perform some of America’s best loved classics.…
Shoppers welcome back Evergreen Park Farmers Market
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Rain was forecast for the morning of May 2, but nothing could dampen the spirits of customers who dropped by the Evergreen Park Farmers Market. The large crowd that attended were instead greeted with mostly sunny skies. Beth Novotney, director of the Evergreen Park Office of Citizen Services that oversees…
Evergreen Park recognizes police for valor
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle The Evergreen Park police have been cited for valor after several key arrests that occurred the past couple of months. Police Chief Michael Saunders requested commendations for the officers during the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting Monday night. Mayor Kelly Burke and the board applauded the efforts of the force.…
Hickory Hills police bid adieu and say welcome
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam The Hickory Hills Police Department bid a fond farewell to Lieutenant Glenn Tienstra and welcomed new Officer Daniel Balzhiser. On a memorable Thursday evening, April 25, city hall was filled with the warmth of community family, friends, officers, and council members, all gathered to joyfully celebrate Officer Balzhiser and respectfully…
Mother Mac unveils new lights and scoreboard
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Across the nation, women’s sports are on the rise in terms of viewership, enthusiasm, sponsorship and excitement. Mother McAuley is no stranger to the impact that women’s athletics has on the development of an individual, strengthening of a team and key skills and attributes developed along the way. South Side…
Cicadas in the park in Palos Park
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Cicadas are coming and the Village of Palos Park is ready. The village hosted its 31st annual Arbor Day Celebration on Sunday, May 5, themed, “The Wonder of Trees” at The Center in the Lodge, 12700 Southwest Highway, with featured speaker, Tricia Bethke of The Morton Arboretum who presented, “Cicadas…
Neighbors
Spartan Educational Foundation presents Rat Pack tribute
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Oak Lawn Community High School’s Spartan Educational Foundation is dedicated to helping students fulfill their dreams. “The Spartan Educational Foundation is continuously looking for opportunities to raise funding to support our student scholarship and staff mini-grant programs,” Michael Riordan, Superintendent at Oak Lawn Community Hight School and Spartan Educational Foundation…
Stickney’s St. Pius X Parish to merge with St. Leonard
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong St. Pius X Parish in Stickney will merge with St. Leonard Parish in Berwyn this summer, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, announced last month. The merger is part of the archdiocese’s ongoing Renew My Church initiative and will take effect on July 1. The new parish will have one…
La Grange twins are Chick Evans scholars
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Long hours spent in the La Grange Country Club’s caddie shack – killing time by reading books or playing cards as they wait to be called to duty – have paid off for a brother and sister. Through the past four years, Caroline and Casey Hart honed their skills, learned…
Fun from above
Spread the love While some folks see heavy snowfall and curse the skies, children in Clearing and Garfield Ridge seemed thrilled with last week’s winter windfall. Schools cancelled classes, and kids like Garfield Ridge sisters Makayla, 10, and 6-year-old Mia Hernandez grabbed their plastic sleds and rode ripples of white all afternoon on a large…
Brother Rice’s 11-game win streak ends with loss to Leo
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer In seemingly a blink of an eye, Brother Rice picked up as many losses as it had all season. The Crusaders headed into last weekend’s action with a 21-2 record and was 10-0 in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. But Friday night, they suffered a 56-50 setback to…
Area Sports Roundup: Six area girls bowling teams headed to sectionals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Six area girls bowling teams are headed to sectionals. Reavis and Stagg won IHSA regional titles last Saturday, and four other teams have advanced to this weekend’s action. Reavis won its own regional at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills with a 5,378 in six games, well ahead of…
Marist cheerleaders takes 2nd in state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer After Marist’s cheerleaders watched a video of their state finals performance on Feb. 5, there were some long faces and tears as the girls filed out of the video room and into the cooling-off room. After a long meeting, there were more long faces. “I’ve had better days,”…
Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School packs meals for needy during holidays
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Wishing everyone to have the best holiday season, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School students packed meals for those in need before they went on Christmas break. The school, 5345 W. 99th St., Oak Lawn, hosted its annual Feed6 Meal Packaging event on December 4, where students gathered together, while socially distanced, with…
McCord shows off Stagg student artworks
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Stagg High School art students proudly had their work showcased at a local gallery. McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, 9602 W. Creek Road, Palos Park, featured the art of Stagg’s most creative until January 28. “Having my work as part of an art show in an art gallery like McCord is significant to…