STEVE THE MAYOR OF ILLINOIS TOWN
IS DEMANDING AN APOLOGY FROM THE
STATE’S GOVERNOR AFTER BEING
LABELED FOR XENOPHOBIC AFTER
SOUNDING THE ALARM ABOUT DOZENS
OF MIGRANTS SENT TO HIS CITY
FROM CHICAGO.
THOSE MIGRANTS ARRIVING WITHOUT
BACKGROUND CHECKS AND HEALTH
SCREENINGS AND ON VERY LITTLE
NOTICE.
HE JOINS US RIGHT NOW.
MAYOR, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING STEVE, THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME.
>> Steve: IT’S GREAT TO HAVE
YOU.
ON SEPTEMBER THE 9TH, YOU GOT A
CALL FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
AND SAID HEY, WE ARE BRINGING A
BUS FULL OF MIGRANTS TO YOUR
PLACE AND YOU SAID WAIT, WHAT?
AND YOU ASKED THEM SOME
QUESTIONS AND THEY DIDN’T HAVE
ANY ANSWERS, DID THEY?
>> ONCE WE GOT WORD SOME
MIGRANTS WERE COMING WE ASKED
HOW MANY?
WE DON’T KNOW.
WHERE ARE THEY GOING?
WE DON’T KNOW.
WHAT TIME ARE THEY GOING TO GET
THERE?
WE DON’T KNOW.
MORE IMPORTANTLY WE ASKED WHAT
KIND OF SAFETY BACKGROUND HAVE
THEY HAD DONE AND WHAT KIND OF
HEALTH BACKGROUND HAVE THEY HAD
DONE?
THAT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR
COMMUNITY.
I’M ELECTED TO SERVE AND PROTECT
THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AND
WELFARE OF ELK GROVE VILLAGE.
>> Steve: YOU SAID IF THEY
HAVEN’T BEEN SCREENED FOR THEIR
HEALTH AND THEY HAVE NOT
UNDERGONE A BACKGROUND CHECK,
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DUMP THEM
OFF HERE.
>> WE TOLD THEM UNTIL WE GOT
ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS, WE
COULDN’T LET THEM COME INTO ELK
GROVE VILLAGE, YOU ARE EXACTLY
RIGHT.
>> Steve: OKAY.
SO THEY GOT BACK TO YOU HOURS
LATER AND THEY SAID YOU, YOU
KNOW WHAT?
THEY HAVE ALL HAD HEALTH
BACKGROUND CHECKS AND HAD
SECURITY CHECKS AND THEY ARE
OKAY.
DID YOU BELIEVE THAT?
>> STEVE, I DO.
I GOT IT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR THE
MEXICAN BORDER REGION.
>> Steve: GOOD.
>> HE ASSURED ME THAT THEY WERE
CHECKED FOR COVID, MONKEYPOX AND
OTHER ISSUES AND THEY DID DO A
SCREENING.
I WANT TO HAVE FAITH IN OUR
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
ONCE WE HEARD THAT AND WE SAID
OKAY, YOU ARE ALLOWED.
IN STEVE, ONE THING I WANT TO
MAKE SURE I POINT OUT.
THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
SO WE WANT TO TREAT THEM WITH
DIGITAL AND RESPECT, BUT WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE SAFE
FOREVER OUR COMMUNITY AND BE INVOLVED HERE.
INVOLVED HERE.
THAT’S WHAT WE CHECKED FIRST.
WHAT REALLY BOTHERED ME IS THE
GOVERNOR HE HAS LABELED SUBURBAN
MAYORS XENOPHOBIC.
NOTHING COULD BE WORSE THAN
SAYING THAT ABOUT LOCAL
COMMUNITIES.
MY COMMUNITY HAS REACHED TOUT
HELP THESE FOLKS, GIVE STUFF.
DONATE THINGS.
WE ARE TRYING TO FIND THEM JOBS.
ELK GROH IS HOME TO THE BIGGEST
BUSINESS PARK IN NORTH AMERICA.
WE HAVE GOT JOBS.
WE WILL HOOK THEM UP FOR JOBS.
WE WILL MATCH THEM.
REMEMBER, THEY ARE TECHNICALLY
LEGAL HERE.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES SAYS THEY ARE LEGAL.
WE ARE TREATING THEM AS LEGAL
PEOPLE.
BUT WE WANT TO GIVE THEM JOBS.
GIVE THEM WORK AND BE ABLE TO
TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND PAY
TAXES.
>> Steve: GREAT, MAYOR, REAL
QUICK, SO YOU ARE ANGRY AT THE
GOVERNOR.
DOES HE OWE YOU AN APOLOGY?
>> OH, YES.
WE ASKED FOR THE GOVERNOR TO
APOLOGIZE TO ELK GROVE VILLAGE
OUR COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS.
WE ARE NOT XENOPHOBIC.
WE ARE COMPLETE OPPOSITE.
WE ARE WELCOMING AND WE WANT TO
CONTINUE TO WELCOME PEOPLE AND
LIKE YOU SAID, THESE MIGRANTS
ARE HUMANS.
WE ARE TREATING THEM WITH
RESPECT AND DIGNITY THEY DESERVE
AND WE WILL GIVE THEM JOBS.
WE WILL HELP TAKE CARE OF THEM.
DON’T CALL US EVER AGAIN
XENOPHOBIC.
>> Steve: LISTEN, IF HE CALLS
YOU, LET US KNOW BECAUSE WE WANT
TO KNOW WHAT HE SAID.
CHICAGO SAID YEAH, THE REASON WE
HAVE TO SHIP THEM THERE IS
BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT A MARATHON
IN ABOUT A MONTH, WHICH IS JUST
NUTS.
MAYOR,.
>> YOU ARE RIGHT.
>> Steve: THANK YOU SO MUCH
CRAIG JOHNSON FOR JOINING US.
WE’RE GLAD THAT WE COULD FINALLY
GET TO THE BOUGHT OF WHAT
HAPPENED.
BUT IT’S VERY TROUBLING.
THANK YOU, SIR.
>> AND, STEVE, REAL QUICK, THANK
YOU, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
COOKBOOK AND IF YOU COULD DO ME
A FAVOR I COULD USE A COPY.
BRIAN’S BOOK IS GETTING LONELY
BEHIND ME THERE.
>> Steve: OKAY.
I WILL DO THE BEST I CAN THANK
YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, SIR.
>> THANK YOU, HAVE A GOOD DAY.
>> Steve: LOOK AT THAT A BOOK
TEASE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF
THAT SEGMENT ON THE BORDER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BY THE WAY WE DID REACH OUT TO