Immigrant shelter for kids rejected by county committee
By Robert Sanchez
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007



Plans to locate a residence for up to 30 immigrant children in a wealthy Lisle Township neighborhood suffered serious setback today.

A county development committee rejected, by a 4-2 vote, Heartland Human Care Services’ request to locate a shelter in a house on nearly 2.5 acres along Hobson Road near Naperville.

Heartland is seeking to shelter children who arrive in the country unaccompanied by adults. Heartland, which works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cares for the youngsters until immigration authorities settle their fate.

However, numerous residents in the area argue the house isn’t big enough to accommodate the up to the 30 children, mainly from India and China, who would stay there for 60 to 90 days. The residents also claim the shelter would lower property values. At least one county board member agreed.

“I don’t think they (Heartland) made the case that it wouldn’t have a detrimental effect on the immediate neighborhood,” said board member Paul Fichtner, one of the development committee members who voted against the plan.

The full county board is slated to take a final vote on the plan next Tuesday.

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