Migrant Bus Drop-Off Ordinance Passes In Deerfield: Village Board

DEERFIELD, IL — In an effort to ensure any migrants or asylum seekers dropped off unannounced in the village are not "abandoned in the cold," the Deerfield Village Board approved an ordinance Tuesday night regulating one-way unscheduled commercial bus and transportation services. The move follows similar ordinances passed in other Chicago suburbs, including nearby Buffalo Grove.

The ordinance requires the buses to have pre-arranged provisions such as food, shelter or other resources for the passengers. Intercity bus operators will be required to submit an application to the Village Manager, or designee, and provide the Village with five business days advance notice. It also establishes permitted times and locations for passengers to disembark.

"I don't know who said it, but someone once said it's never a wrong thing to do something that is right," Deerfield Mayor Daniel Shapiro said prior to the vote on the ordinance.

With thousands of undocumented immigrants continuing to pour into Chicagoland from Texas, municipalities throughout the area have passed similar resolutions to address the issue.

RELATED: Deerfield To Consider Migrant Bus Ordinance At Next Meeting — Mayor

Shapiro noted that many of the migrants are coming from Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, attempting to flee "socioeconomic hardships and unsafe conditions." He added that natural disasters and "poor governance" have also fueled the influx, with border crossing surging in Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott continues to relocate migrants to major U.S. cities like Chicago, Denver and New York.

"It is intended to make sure that migrants and asylum seekers are not randomly left in the cold and that they are redirected to the Intake Center in Chicago where there are services to help them," Shapiro said of the ordinance. "It also addresses the consequences to bus companies and drivers which fail to meet those regulations."

Among the provisions in the ordinance is that intercity buses may only stop to allow passengers to disembark between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m Monday through Friday, but not on holidays. In addition, the buses can only disembark at the Lake Cook Road Metra Station parking lot, 601 Lake Cook Road, unless otherwise approved by the village manager.

Among the penalties for not following protocol is a fine of between $100 and $750 per passenger, impoundment of the bus, and misdemeanor offense.

RELATED: Ordinance Regulating Migrant Bus Drop-Offs Passes In Buffalo Grove