The City of Joliet is asking Joliet Township Supervisor Angel Contreras to withdraw his grant application to obtain an asylum grant application from Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

If the application is not withdrawn, Joliet Township will receive up to $8.5 million from the State of Illinois to handle the influx of illegal immigrants coming into the county and seeking asylum status.

Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy said his office and the Joliet Fire Department did not approve a memorandum of understanding with the Joliet Township and other community organizations before the grant was submitted. If asylum seekers do come to Joliet, Mayor D’Arcy said it will create a burden on the city’s school, infrastructure, health, public safety, and social service resources.

City councilman Larry Hug said the City of Joliet and Joliet Township have separate municipal boundaries.

“Township and Will County cover people in unincorporated areas,” said Hug. “It is a separate set of government like school districts.”

Mayor D’Arcy promised the residents that he will not sign the memorandum of understanding allowing asylum seekers in Joliet, particularly because he has no idea where the people will live and exactly how many individuals would come to the city.

“Without us, I do not think this will go through,” he said. “We do not have the capacity to do this.”

Joliet Township trustee Ray Slattery, who attended Monday’s pre-council meeting, said the board has not even acted on the grant. In fact, he was not even aware of the grant until a few days ago.

“I was just as surprised as anyone else since I did not know anything about this until Sunday morning,” said Slattery. “The township board has not voted on this. Nothing has been done as far as the township is concerned.” 

Slattery believes the grant was written by a grant writer at the direction of Contreras without board input or approval. Attempts to reach Contreras for comment were unsuccessful as he did not return any of the calls placed by the Times Weekly.

“He went and did this on his own, let’s just say it,” said councilwoman Jan Quillman. “He needs to go.”

Joliet councilman Joe Clement on Tuesday said he was “livid” when he heard about the Joliet Township grant while he was in Nashville.

“I have no interest in this,” he said. “I continue to stand up for the citizens of Joliet. America first and Joliet first.”

Rather than assist people crossing the border illegally, Clement said he would rather use the city’s resources in helping the homeless and veterans. Also, he said no one has been told how many migrants would be relocated to Joliet Township and where exactly they will they go.

“I cannot believe the township supervisor was called by the governor and nobody knew about it,” Clement charged. “I think people knew and now they hear there is a huge blowback, and they are trying to take cover.”

Joliet resident Marco Solis said he is against having asylum seekers in his community.

“I came to this country the legal way and it is not fair to people like us,” he said. “Nothing was given free to us, and we had to make our own way in the world. This sends the wrong message to people who are breaking the rules and entering this country illegally.”

Pritzker last week announced that his office would award $41.5 million to local governments that are welcoming asylum seekers.

“The funds will make it possible for municipalities to provide direct services to migrants who have fled their homes to escape violence and other threats,” said Pritzker. “Illinois is a welcoming state, and we have stepped up to aid asylum seekers who have undertaken a dangerous and trying journey to try and build a better life for themselves and their families.

Pritzker said it has been over a year since the state started to receive buses from Texas, transporting migrants from the southern border who are seeking asylum in the United Sates. Since Aug. 31, 2022, without notice, according to Pritzker, Illinois has received more than 15,000 new arrivals, primarily from Central and South America. To date, the state, he adds, has contributed $328 million overall to support asylum seekers.

The Illinois General Assembly and Pritzker appropriated $41.5 million from the general revenue fund to the Illinois Department of Human Services in the fiscal year 2024 budget to provide support to local municipalities for the provision of basic services to new arrivals.

Other municipalities receiving the funding include $30.25 million to the City of Chicago; $1.27 to the City of Elgin; and $150,000 to the Village of Oak Park.