Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a plane carrying over 120 migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago, expanding his busing program. Since last year, nearly 80,000 migrants have received free rides from the border to Democratic-led communities around the country.
Texas Governor’s Airlift of Migrants to Chicago Sparks Controversy
The inaugural flight from El Paso to Chicago on Tuesday intensifies Abbott’s controversial strategy. The Chicago city council took measures a week earlier to address the busing of migrants, which Mayor Brandon Johnson sharply opposed. The city replied to busses unloading people from other cities to avoid fines, towing, and impoundment.
Abbott said the flights were a response to Mayor Johnson “targeting migrant buses” from Texas when Chicago took action. New city sanctions for bus operators include stiffer penalties for not following approved destinations or completing city documentation. After Abbott signed a law allowing Texas police to arrest unlawful border crossers, this happened. In protest of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, the state has passed many strong laws.
The White House accused Abbott of manipulating migrants for political benefit after the flight. White House spokeswoman Angelo Fernández Hernández called Abbott’s actions a political gimmick and a lack of humanity.
Immigration Policies Clash with Biden Administration
Abbott’s multibillion-dollar Operation Lone Star involves transporting migrants to other places, erecting razor wire along the border, building buoy barriers in the Rio Grande, and adding officers. The Biden administration was ordered by a federal appeals court to stop cutting concertina wire on the border during a legal battle.
The tragic death of a 5-year-old boy at a temporary shelter for migrants in Chicago has prompted concerns about asylum-seekers’ living circumstances and medical care. The flights to the city have not been commented on by Mayor Johnson’s office.
Abbott’s immigration policies have drawn criticism and support, highlighting Texas’s continuous immigration policy conflict with the Biden administration.