Asylum-seekers who were destined for Chicago were recently dropped off at far-flung suburban locations with no warning in an apparent effort to circumvent drop-off policies implemented by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
In one instance, 38 migrants were left at the Metra station in the small Kane County community of Elburn on Thursday. The migrants had been given pre-paid one-way tickets to take the train to Chicago.
Meanwhile, in the village of Manhattan, a bus showed up at the Metra station on the same day. After learning there were no more Chicago-bound trains scheduled for the night, they went to another station in Joliet.
However, it was happened in Kankakee that took law enforcement by surprise.
Dozens of migrants were left abandoned at a gas station early Thursday morning by a bus driver told them that they had arrived in Chicago, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Mike Downey said the migrants were wrapped in blankets, walking on highways and expressways after the driver dropped them off at a Love's Travel Stop at 4:30 a.m. -- without food, money or adequate clothing.
"So that was a little bit disturbing on our end that they would be deceitful like that," the sheriff said.
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Kankakee Mayor Christopher W. Curtis told NBC Chicago in an email that the bus dropped off 30 to 40 individuals from Venezuela. Curtis explained that the city doesn't have the housing, resources, or financial dollars available to handle busloads of arrivals -- especially with no warning.
"...In the end, we have a duty to protect all our residents and visitors in our City and we will, however, our first duty and oath as elected officials is to help and protect our residents first and that is what we will do," he said, in part.
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Law enforcement are investigating to determine who sent the bus and who the driver was. Authorities also filed an emergency declaration with the state for costs incurred.
Meanwhile, in suburban Aurora on Friday, the City Council passed an ordinance that calls for drivers and bus companies to notify the appropriate agency at least five days prior to a bus's arrival. Those who don't comply could be subjected to fines of up to $1,000 per passenger.
In mid-November, the city of Chicago announced similar steps to regulate "rogue buses," which officials said "cause unnecessary logistical obstacles for intake and put the lives of new arrivals in danger..." Bus companies could be cited and fined for disregarding curfews, landing zone locations and loading/unloading protocols.
