Oak Park voted Monday night to extend funding for its migrant community, allocating federal funding for that purpose.
The Village Trustees debated late into the night, before voting to spend $500,000 in federal funding on providing aid to migrants through Feb. 6, 2024.
The meeting also included public comment, including from Rev. Colin Knapp of Pilgrim Congregational Church. His congregation has been helping the migrants for months.
“To create a task force, is what I called for them to do,” Knapp said. “An independent task force that we can work collectively with the village and with the migrants.”
Currently, Oak Park is taking care of 167 migrants, including 57 children. Many are living in the West Cook YMCA, at the Carleton Hotel of Oak Park and at Grace Episcopal Church.
“I do believe Oak Park has the resources to do this,” Knapp added. “We just need to communicate better and trust one another.”
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