PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Mayor Rita Ali wants to roll out the welcome mat for any migrants that may end up in the area.
“Ultimately, one day, it’s probably going to happen,” said Ali, to WMBD’s Craig Collins Show. “When that happens, I don’t know. But, if and when it does, I don’t want to get caught off guard. I don’t want Peoria to be caught off guard.”
Ali Friday talked with WMBD’s Craig Collins and Will Stevenson about the possibility of migrants coming here from Texas — possibly via Chicago, possibly not.
There are unconfirmed reports of migrants coming to other parts of Illinois as soon as this weekend.
But, when or where, or whether you support the migrant situation or not, is not important right now, Ali says.
“I would just…appeal to the human side,” said Ali. “Think about what these individuals have gone through…even driving all the way in a bus, a very packed bus, from Texas to Chicago, is a very long way. That’s why they’re showing up dehydrated, malnutritioned, and so forth.”
Ali says the city had a meeting Thursday on the matter, and Police Chief Eric Echevarria met with members of the Hispanic population Friday. about the need for things like translators.
One of the immediate problems, Ali says, might be shelter, given that Dream Center Peoria and the Salvation Army shelters are full right now. She says what has happened in some other cases might need to happen here.
“In Chicago, and other places, there have been some hotels that have stepped up with a very discounted rate. There have been some churches or faith-based organizations that have offered some facilities,” said Ali.
Ali says the plans have only been in the works for days , but that’s all the time she’s been alerted to the matter.
“About a week ago, we got word that Peoria could be one of the cities were migrants might show up, either through a coordinated effort with the state or Chicago, or possibly not a coordinated effort.”
The mayor, though, says cities that are a part of the Illinois Municipal League have been asked to volunteer to serve as host cities for any incoming migrants.
She says Peoria did not volunteer.
Listen to the full interview in the first part of the podcast below.
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