Full Notification

On Wednesday, September 7, the Village of Burr Ridge learned that  64 refugees, among many bussed to Chicago from Texas, were transported from the Salvation Army Shield of Hope in Chicago and assigned to temporary hotel housing in Burr Ridge. Neither Village elected officials nor staff were consulted or contacted about this decision and we are now gathering information to keep our community updated. At this time, the Village is aware of the following facts:

• The federal government, which handles all immigration matters, granted legal refugee status to these migrants at the US-Mexico border. The refugees housed in the Village are legally permitted to be in the United States.
•  All refugees received health screening at the border and upon arrival in Chicago; any person who were found to have an illness or communicable disease has been isolated at a public health shelter outside of Burr Ridge.
• The refugees here are primarily families with children; very few travelled alone. Illinois Department of Human Services staff is staying in Burr Ridge throughout the duration of their stay in our community to assist with locating housing and employment for the refugees. Some of the refugees have family in the area while others are being assisted by private charitable agencies with their transition to life in the United States. 
• The refugees are expected to stay in Burr Ridge over the next few weeks but ultimately move on no more than 30 days from this date. We expect the number of refugees staying in the community to decrease over time as more people find housing and employment. 
• All refugees staying in Burr Ridge are permitted to leave their temporary hotel housing. All refugees were provided with some form of identification documenting their legal status.  

Earlier this year, the Village hosted asylum-seeking refugees from Afghanistan who have now found permanent housing and employment. Burr Ridge offers all persons from around the world a better in life in the United States.  We also want to assure our residents and businesses that the current situation will be handled in an orderly and safe manner for all. If you would like to donate materials to these refugees, please visit WorldRelief Chicagoland. 

The Village remains in contact with federal and state officials and will continue to share any new information or updates it receives with the community.