Dupage Policy Journal

In response to community inquiries, the City of Wheaton has provided an update on the arrival of buses dropping off illegal immigrants in the area.

The influx is a result of the City of Chicago's recent ordinance regulating buses transporting illegal immigrants, leading buses to reroute to suburban locations with commuter rail access, including Wheaton.

“In the past two weeks, 14 busloads of asylum seekers have arrived at the Wheaton Metra train stations,” the City of Wheaton said in a press release.

“Each bus contained approximately 35-50 passengers with a coordinator facilitating their orderly, prompt boarding of a Metra train to the Chicago intake center for assistance. A small number of individuals were transported from the Wheaton Metra stations to unknown locations using rideshare services.”

“While the City of Wheaton has not received notice of when buses will arrive, this process has been orderly and without incident. Wheaton Police officers have been present in the area observing the orderly boarding of passengers and supporting the safety of the passengers and residents.”

Buses began arriving in suburban locations such as Wheaton after Chicago enacted rules threatening fines and impoundment of unannounced buses carrying illegal immigrants, resulting in Texas redirecting buses to suburban locations.

Other neighboring suburbs, including Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, have enacted ordinances similar to Chicago's, limiting options for bus operators and responding to the increasing frequency of daily drop-offs.

During a recent Hinsdale Village Board meeting where drop-offs were prohibited, officials reported being notified by a bus driver that such occurrences were expected to continue through March.

The frequency of daily drop-offs throughout the state has varied, often exceeding 10 instances and, at times, approaching 800 people per day.

With nearly 30,000 migrants arriving in Illinois since August 2022, communities are grappling with the crisis, and taxpayer funds have reached almost $700 million in the past year.

State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) who recently visited the southern U.S. border, is urging the Biden administration to close the border following his “eye-opening experience" visit to the Texas-Mexico border.

“This area is seeing thousands of migrants a day cross the river,” Halbrook told Center Square. “One of the other stops we went to was just east of town, which was a pecan farm town; this was a stunning stop to see how they are crossing the rivers.”

Halbrook has called for decisive action, asserting that the legislature needs to step in as Gov. J.B. Pritzker issues his 18th disaster proclamation to address the ongoing crisis.