‘Critical tipping point’: Chicago Mayor Lightfoot urges Texas Gov. Abbott to stop busing migrants
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop busing migrants to Chicago, calling the move “inhumane” and “dangerous.”
In a letter sent Sunday, the Democratic mayor asked the Republican governor to stop busing migrants to cities throughout the United States, including Chicago, ahead of Texas state plans to resume the practice.
“Chicago is a welcoming city and we collaborate with county, state, and community partners to rise to this challenge, but your lack of consideration or coordination in an attempt to cause chaos and score political points has resulted in a critical tipping point in our ability to receive individuals and families in a safe, orderly, and dignified way,” Lightfoot wrote in the letter.
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The city has shouldered more than 8,000 migrants since August sent by Abbott, many of whom required extensive care which wasn’t addressed by the state before sending them to Chicago, according to Lightfoot.
“I know by your actions that you either do not see or do not care about the trauma these migrants have already faced and continue to suffer under the humanitarian crisis you have created,” Lightfoot added. “But I beseech you anyway: treat these individuals with the respect and dignity that they deserve.”
Abbott launched this effort last year as part of a strategy to share the influx of migrants in Texas with cities with Democratic leadership. Since then, Texas has bused individuals to New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in addition to Chicago.
The Texas governor has referred to Chicago as a “drop-off location” within his state’s busing strategy, which is a part of Abbott’s response to President Joe Biden’s “open border policies overwhelming border communities in Texas,” according to an August statement from Abbott’s office.
More:New Biden administration proposal seeks to limit access for asylum seekers at southern border
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans—and Americans—at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” Abbott said at the time.
“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 added.
Other Republican leaders have also followed in Abbott’s footsteps and relocated migrants from their state to Democratic-led cities, including former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Contributing: The Associated Press