Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that his state has begun busing migrants to Chicago.
“First bus of migrants from Texas to sanctuary city Chicago just arrived,” Abbott tweeted from his official account.
“Migrants are flooding into our state at a historic rate, thanks to Pres. Biden’s open border policies,” Abbott continued. “Texas will continue busing migrants until the President secures the border.”
This decision was based on Chicago’s alleged status as a “sanctuary city.”
Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance stated, “No [city] agent or agency shall request information about or otherwise investigate or assist in the investigation of the citizenship or immigration status of any person unless such inquiry or investigation is required by Illinois State Statute, federal regulation, or court decision.”
It further stipulated, “No agent or agency shall condition the provision of City of Chicago benefits, opportunities, or services on matters related to citizenship.”
Responding to the transportation of migrants, a spokesman from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office stated that on August 31, “the City of Chicago received confirmation that approximately 60 migrants were traveling to Chicago by way of Texas.”
The statement continued on to claim, “As a city, we are doing everything we can to ensure these immigrants and their families can receive shelter, food, and, most importantly, protection. This is not new; Chicago welcomes hundreds of migrants every year to our city.”
In comparison, roughly 7,500 unlawful crossings of the southern border occurred daily in May alone, with border agent apprehensions numbering 232,628 that month.
The Chicago mayor’s spokesperson condemned Abbott, stating that the governor was “without any shame or humanity.”
They continued, “Ever since he put these racist practices of expulsion in place, we have been working with our community partners to ready the city to receive these individuals.”
Abbott, however, insists that the program is not racist but rather an effort to provide “much-needed relief to our small, overrun border towns.”
“Mayor Lightfoot loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status, and I look forward to seeing this responsibility in action as these migrants receive resources from a sanctuary city with the capacity to serve them,” he stated.
Over 9,000 migrants have been voluntarily transported to Washington D.C., New York City, and now Chicago.
The busing program has cost Texas taxpayers nearly $13 million so far. Contrasting this is the estimated $850 million that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims unlawful migration costs Texas taxpayers.
Paxton stated, “Texans are hardworking and generous people, but the cost of illegal immigration is an unconscionable burden on the taxpayers of our great state … Texas will always welcome those who legally immigrate, but we cannot continue forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for individuals who skirt the law and skip the line.”