Dupage Policy Journal

Heather Brown, Ward 2 Alderman for West Chicago, said she is going to seek fines for Metra should the regional transit provider drop illegal immigrants off in West Chicago.

Brown’s decision came after photos of illegal immigrants wrapped in blankets descended on a train platform in Winfield.

Brown told the DuPage Policy Journal other members of the council have cautioned her to not bring up the issue at the next council meeting pending action by the county.

Illegal immigrant in Winfield. | Heather Brown

“I’m trying to get ahold of people in the county and see what their plans are,” Brown said.  

However, Brown said she’ll still be discussing the options on how to deal with illegal immigrants dropped off in the community.

“We are looking at tapping the ordinance just passed by the city of Aurora, which allows us to seize buses and cars for dropping off persons without proper permission, identification and provisions of care,” she said.

West Chicago’s train stop is only four minutes away from Winfield.  

Brown suggested fining Metra for dropping off illegal immigrants.

“We already have an influx of our capacity of what we just had to deal with with the fire,” Brown said.

“We can't deal with any more homeless population. Our food pantries are out of stock of food before noon right now.”

“This is crazy because we're next if they're going to Winfield. I mean, they're dropping them everywhere from DuPage all the way to Kane.”

“I'm going to see that the council will also follow suit because we have an abundance of our own constituents that just went through hardship and we had to use a lot of taxpayers money to try and help them out. Our township had to help them out. Everyone in town has been helping them out. We cannot afford more illegal immigration into our town at this time. We are taxed right now. We have no place for them to go.”

“The fact that they just had to do a levy and then increase their taxes on our citizens two meetings ago means that we're not just good fiscally able to take on another burden for the town.”

“I wasn't expecting it to hit so close to home so fast.”

In recent days suburban police have faced challenges as busloads of illegal immigrants have increased, straining resources. 

Fox River Grove, Elmhurst, and Kankakee have experienced unannounced drop-offs, prompting swift police action. 

Aurora City Council mandates advance notice for buses, with non-compliance leading to fines and impoundment. 

Elmhurst Police assist migrants, and the state collaborates to secure hotel rooms.

The situation underscores the need for a comprehensive response to address concerns. 

Some local residents have expressed concern that illegal immigrants receive better treatment than existing taxpayers. 

Brown has been a consistent vote against raising fees and taxes during her tenure with West Chicago. In addition to her role as West Chicago Alderman, Brown is running for higher office seeking election to the Illinois State Senate District 25 seat.

The State Senate District 25 is currently represented by State Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago). It includes all or parts of Aurora, North Aurora, Batavia, West Chicago, South Elgin, Wayne and Bartlett.