OAK PARK, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Oak Park Trustees voted to spend $500,000 to support migrants in the area as the colder months approach.
The divisive vote is additional spending to the $550,000 trustees approved last month to house migrants during an October snowstorm.
Trustee Ravi Parakkat was one of the three who dissented with concerns that allocating this aid will harm migrants more than it will help them.
"At this point, extending it further out as a temporary measure and extending the emergency measure for the same time frame seems like a bad and costly option for all stakeholders, and at the end of it, the families, based on the information I'm seeing, are not well served based on the aspirations they expressed themselves."
Village President Vicki Scaman said the decision could end up helping the community.
"Already what I've learned along this journey I think is going to benefit us and how we serve all residents of Oak Park and our homelessness challenges here."
Officials said Oak Park is supporting over 160 migrants and an additional 80 or so are supported by area churches.
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