Oak Lawn Village Board To Address Migrant Crisis At January Meeting

OAK LAWN, IL — Oak Lawn Village Board members will consider additional measures to address the migrant crisis at their next board meeting on Jan. 9, according to a news release. These measures will be in addition to a previous vote on Dec. 12 that amended the village’s hotel/motel occupancy ordinance in response to the growing concern over migrants occupying these facilities for extended stays.

“Oak Lawn is a wonderfully diverse and welcoming Village, but like our neighboring communities, we do not have the resources to handle hundreds and thousands of undocumented migrants,” said Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer about the village’s plans. “This is a problem our federal government caused, and they need to fix it.”

Specifically, on Jan. 9, the Village will be considering measures to establish common-carrier regulations requiring a Village of Oak Lawn license to operate a bus within the village’s borders and prohibiting unscheduled bus stops and passenger drop-offs. Such measures will ensure that the village has prior notice of the intent of a carrier to make a stop within the Village and drop off passengers, enabling the village to adequately address potential public health and safety issues.

“America is a nation of immigrants, but also a nation whose borders need to be respected,” said Oak Lawn 6th District Trustee Ralph Soch when asked about the board’s intentions. “We have an immigration process, and people need to follow that process.”