Will County Gazette

Joliet City Councilman Joe Clement spoke out against the drive to house possibly thousands of illegal immigrants in Joliet.

“I follow what’s going on all over the country and I knew it was a matter of time before we would have to address this,” Clement, the at-large Council representative, said to Joliet Patch.

“But I was completely taken off guard that the Joliet area was participating. This is the first I’m hearing about it.”

Clement’s comments come after the city was awarded $8.6 million in funds from the state to go towards housing and caring for the illegal immigrant population.

Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy is asking Joliet Supervisor Angel Contreras to withdraw the application for a recently granted award to go towards caring for the state’s increasing illegal immigrant community.

He said none of the political leaders were aware it had been made and granted.

“If the township accepts this grant and individuals arrive in our city, it will be a tremendous strain and overtaxing our existing infrastructure impacting our Joliet School System, social services, public and private health resources and public safety,” D’Arcy said in at said at Joliet’s Pre-Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 2.

Contreras said he would address constituent concerns about the grant at the Joliet City Council meeting to be held Oct. 10 at 5 p.m.

The chaos comes after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office announced the award earlier this week.

Statewide $41.5 million was allocated in awards to local governments in the Chicago region to support illegal immigrants, providing funds for shelter, food, legal assistance, and healthcare.

This initiative, funded by the Illinois General Assembly and the General Revenue Fund, is being administered in collaboration with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.

Roughly 15,000 illegal immigrants have been bussed to the state from Texas since August 2022, according to the governor’s office.