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W E D N E S D A Y
May 31, 2023 Vol. 43, No. 44
$2.00 @wednesdayjournalinc
@wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
Special Section Page 17
OPRF board member Henry resigns to be near aging parents
‘Eager to work’
Housed at 15th District police station, South and Central American asylum seekers share stories FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ
By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter
On a sunny and windy Monday evening, some 10 asylum seekers, mostly from Venezuela, stood outside
Chicago’s 15th district police station, 5701 W. Madison St. The Austin-based police station looked entirely different than it did a month ago, before hundreds of asylum seekers arrived in Chicago on buses from Texas,
joining about 8,000 people who have arrived in the city since the fall of 2022. As the city of Chicago’s shelters and respite centers are full, hundreds See ASYLUM SEEKERS on page 11
Credited for strong, critical focus on key issues By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
There is now a vacancy on the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education. Kebreab Henry, the only Black member of the school board, resigned from the board May 25 because he is moving out of state to be closer to his aging parents. Henry was elected to the school board in 2021. The school board now has 60 days to fill the vacancy. The D200 board will seek applications or letters of interest from those interested in serving on the school board, interview some or all of the applicants and then choose someone to serve out the remaining 23 months of Henry’s term. The precise procedure and timeline See RESIGNATION on page 10
JUNE 1 - AUGUST 31 / 5PM - 9PM