Elburn passes village ordinance to address migrants arriving on buses

The Elburn Village Board unanimously approved an ordinance Wednesday imposing fines on buses dropping off migrants in town without filing the appropriate paperwork in advance.

It was standing room only inside Elburn Village Hall during the special meeting.

Attorney Bill Thomas explained the ordinance’s specifics, saying it was “designed to create an orderly process.”

Bus companies now will be required to fill out applications, with the names of all the passengers and background checks on those 18 and older. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and approvals will be required before the buses’ arrival. Arrival times will be limited to Monday through Friday, with restricted hours based on the availability of Elburn police officers.

Penalties will be issued for non-compliance for the buses and their operators, with fines of $750 per passenger.

The ordinance is in response to a busload of migrants from the southern border that unexpectedly arrived at the Elburn Metra train station on Dec. 20.

Since Chicago passed an ordinance cracking down on unscheduled arrivals of buses carrying migrants to the city, some surrounding suburbs have had buses drop off migrants in their towns.

In response, Grundy County posted messages on signs along Interstate 55 over the holiday weekend warning drivers of buses full of refugees from Mexico and Venezuela to keep driving.

These signs, placed at the Route 47 and Gardner Road exits, read “NO MIGRANT BUSES THIS EXIT.” The signs were taken down days later.

Elburn’s ordinance is similar to what a number of other municipalities have passed.

During public comment Wednesday, Bill Suhayva, an immigrant from Austria many years ago, said the White House is to blame for the “out of control” migrant situation.

“We don’t know who these people are,” he said.

He said he and his family were vetted before they were allowed to come to the United States.

“My concerns for the village are about infrastructure — where would you put them?” said resident Judy Kaehel. “And then about policing, and the safety in our neighborhoods.”

Village Administrator John Nevenhoven said the unscheduled intercity bus made a stop at the Metra train station with 38 passengers plus a liaison, security guard, and the driver.

Elburn Police Chief Nick Sikora determined the bus trip originated in Texas, and the passengers, who had pre-paid tickets for the train, were headed to the Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago.

All but four of the individuals boarded the train, with the assistance of on-duty Elburn police officers. The remaining four had pre-arranged rides from the station.