Approximately 50 migrants staying in temporary housing at Chicago’s Wilbur Wright College attended a Spanish-language Mass at Our Lady of The Rosary parish followed by a dinner in June. Texas has sent as many as 30,000 migrants seeking asylum in the United States to Chicago via buses and planes over the past 16 months. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

Things just didn’t add up for Melissa McMahon.

The Woodstock official found it odd that a white tour bus was traveling through town on a Saturday when she knew as a City Council member that there were no tour buses scheduled to be in town that day.

Passing the bus headed in the opposite direction as she was on the way to the library with her daughter, McMahon turned around and made her way to the Woodstock train station.

She got there to see 36 asylum seekers standing outside in the cold after the tour bus had dropped them off.

Having recently held a meeting at the train depot, McMahon still had an active passcode to get into the depot, which she used to open the facility for the migrants as they waited for a train which was still more than an hour from arriving.

“I never checked the weekday train schedule. I hope it was just a case that the bus driver didn’t know the weekend schedule, which has every other train running,” McMahon said.

New Chicago restrictions on buses carrying migrants seeking asylum are now impacting suburban communities and the impact is reaching as far west as DeKalb and Rockford.

Some communities, like Wheaton, are handling the coordination efforts as they come, while others, such as DeKalb, are being proactive and trying to head off problems before they arise.

“It has been a pretty orderly process without incident,” Wheaton City Manager Mike Dugan said about the 14 buses carrying migrants from Texas that have stopped in that western suburb in the past two weeks. “The buses all had a coordinator, and the passengers all had a ticket to the Metra to take them to the intake center.”

Dugan said he is unclear why Wheaton has seen the most buses of any DuPage community along the Union Pacific rail line, but suggested it could be because the community has two train stations.

He said the drop-offs have been evenly split between the city’s two stations. Thus far, the city has not put any restrictions on bus drop-offs, according to Dugan.

Here is how the migrant buses issue has been playing out in some area cities and counties:

DeKalb

Although no buses have stopped in DeKalb yet, city officials are looking to have rules in place for when one does.

City Council members at their Monday, Jan. 8, meeting were expected to consider an ordinance requiring any charter service where the passenger will not reboard to apply for an application and have it approved 10 days prior to any DeKalb stop. Results of the council vote were not available as of press time.

The proposed ordinance requires that passengers be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays and that a 30-day plan for housing and feeding disembarking passengers be provided in the application. Violation of the ordinance would carry a fine of $1,000 per passenger and possible impounding of the vehicle.

At a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 4, aldermen approved the first reading of the ordinance in a 5-1 vote.

Alderman Carolyn Zasada of the 1st Ward voted against the ordinance.

Zasada said she voted against the legislation because it was not sound public policy, but more importantly because of the message it conveys.

“What it does is make people feel unwelcome,” Zasada said. “For people who are Hispanic and other marginalized individuals, for Jewish people and people who feel othered, it makes them feel more insecure.”

Zasada said the legislation has no real value in her opinion.

“It does not seem worth it,” Zasada said. “You are harming humans by putting it in place.”

Zasada said she understands that her stance against the ordinance is not a popular position to take.

“Some would say it’s an extreme position, but I am trying to stand up for people,” she said. “My grandfather was an immigrant. I knew what side I had to be on.”

Rockford

A plane carrying 355 migrants landed Saturday, Dec. 30, at the Chicago Rockford International Airport.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara and Zack Oakley, director of airport operations and planning, said in a joint statement that “once the plane landed in Rockford, those on board were offloaded and immediately boarded buses. Winnebago County Sheriff’s deputies escorted the buses to the McHenry County line. County officials told us that buses did not make any stops along the way to McHenry County.”

McNamara and Oakley said they were not aware of any other flights from Texas planned into Rockford and that the Texas Department of Emergency Management is managing the situation.

“If we get more of these flights, we will activate our local Emergency Operations Center to coordinate logistics and planning to ensure the safety of all involved throughout this process,” McNamara and Oakley said.

Woodstock

Her chance bus sighting has led Melissa McMahon to combine efforts with MBI Staffing and nonprofit Warp Corps to create care packages for the migrants.

“The most alarming thing was they were completely unprepared for the weather,” McMahon said. “They thought they would be in Texas. They were not prepared for this.”

McMahon said there has been an overwhelming response to her request for donations with 100 care packages already created and stored at area train stations. The care packages will also be given to homeless individuals in McHenry County, she said.

New and gently used clothing is being collected at Warp Corps, 114 N. Benton St., Woodstock, and the Illinois Migrant Council, Suite 800, 333 Commerce Drive, Crystal Lake.

“Regardless of politics, it’s just about humans,” McMahon said of the care-package effort.

For information, contact Warp Corps at 815-985-6256 or email McMahon at mmcmahon311@gmail.com.

DuPage

The DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reported that as of Jan. 3, nearly 3,000 men, women and children seeking asylum in the United States have passed through DuPage County train stations.

DuPage OHSEM officials said they have worked closely with local and regional partners to ensure that the 2,988 asylum seekers that have arrived on out-of-state buses and planes and then dropped off at DuPage train stations have been transported safely to the “landing zone” in Chicago, the only designated location in Illinois to receive asylum seekers.

“Since mid-December, DuPage County has been coordinating and assuring the safe passage for asylum seekers dropped off in our communities,” said County Board Chair Debora Conroy. “Our goal remains to provide a secure and smooth transition for these new arrivals after they have traveled such great distances.

“The reports I’ve received indicate that these passengers are moving peacefully off the buses, through the train stations, causing no incidents. We remain grateful for the collaboration with state, regional and local officials who are facilitating this process.”

Since Dec. 14, there have been 74 buses that have arrived at train stations in DuPage County. The bus tally, according to DuPage OHSEM, has been:

• Aurora: 3
• Bartlett: 1
• Bensenville: 1
• Downers Grove: 8
• Elmhurst: 8
• Glen Ellyn: 6
• Hinsdale: 12
• Lisle: 2
• Lombard: 2
• Naperville: 6
• Villa Park: 3
• West Chicago: 2
• Westmont: 1
• Wheaton: 14
• Winfield: 1
• Wood Dale: 4

Kane

Kane County officials have been providing guidance to city and village leaders as the situations dictate.

“The primary objective is to aid communities in managing the situation effectively to ensure a safe onward journey for asylum seekers who unexpectedly find themselves in our country,” said Kane County Board Chairman Corrine Pieog.

The Kane County Office of Emergency Management, Health Department and Sheriff’s Office have been engaged with municipalities and local law enforcement to help facilitate the travel of asylum seekers to Chicago.

Once in Chicago, the migrants are offered temporary shelter and other support.

Disembarking passengers on privately chartered buses from Texas have been assisted at Kane Metra stations in Elburn and Aurora.

“We have been actively sharing information with public safety agencies, the state, and the city of Chicago about the unscheduled arrival of buses of asylum seekers in our communities to make sure individuals seeking assistance reach the designated landing zone,” said Scott Buziecki, director of the Kane County Office of Emergency Management.

Kane County recently conducted a countywide meeting of the Metro West Council of Government to provide information, resources and address questions.

McHenry

McHenry County officials offered the following statement regarding the issue:

“McHenry County does not have the authority to direct a municipality to assume any role in housing asylum seekers, but it may facilitate the efficient transportation of asylum seekers to the consolidated resources of the state of Illinois in the city of Chicago.

“While there is no advance notice as to when and where asylum seekers may arrive, McHenry County representatives and Emergency Management have been in regular communication with municipal mayors, managers, and law enforcement to discuss the coordination of responses.

“McHenry County prioritizes the safety and well-being of all who visit and reside here, and it will continue to closely monitor this evolving situation.”