Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has now sent buses filled with migrants to a third major city run by Democrats: Chicago.
In protest of what they say is a lack of attention to the border crisis, Texas and Arizona have been sending buses full of migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City, two prominent Democratic-run cities. On Wednesday, Abbott announced the arrival of the first bus to Chicago. Videos show the migrants arriving in the city in two buses.
“The first two buses of migrants from Texas arrived at Chicago’s Union Station this evening. Many of them told me they’re from Venezuela. They said they were expecting someone to be here to help them when they arrived, but there isn’t anyone here,” Fox News correspondent Grady Trimble said.
The first two buses of migrants from Texas arrived at Chicago’s Union Station this evening. Many of them told me they’re from Venezuela. They said they were expecting someone to be here to help them when they arrived, but there isn’t anyone here. pic.twitter.com/2ExPLEtQIa
— Grady Trimble (@Grady_Trimble) September 1, 2022
DC MAYOR SENDS NEW PLEA FOR HELP AFTER REQUEST FOR NATIONAL GUARD DENIED
Other videos from Trimble show the migrants boarding another bus, which he said he was told was taking them to a shelter.
The Fox News correspondent estimated that there were 80-100 migrants total on the two buses, including around 20 children.
“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 w/ capacity to serve them,” Abbott said in his statement, referring to Chicago’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot (D).
First Texas bus of migrants has arrived in Chicago.
Biden’s inaction at our border puts Texans at risk & is overwhelming our communities.
We’ll continue bussing migrants to sanctuary cities like NYC, DC, & now Chicago until the federal gov’t does its job & secures the border. pic.twitter.com/RccsdIOXiI
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 1, 2022
Lightfoot responded by decrying Abbott’s practice as “racist” and saying he is “without shame or humanity.”
“Unfortunately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is without any shame or humanity. But 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,” a spokesman for Lightfoot’s office said.
NEWS: Today, the City of Chicago received confirmation that approximately 60 migrants were traveling to Chicago by way of Texas. Chicago is a welcoming city and as such has collaborated across various departments and agencies to ensure we greeted them with dignity and respect. pic.twitter.com/wJWEDtXLgZ
— Ryan Johnson (@Ryan_Johnson) September 1, 2022
Abbott has enacted a policy of busing migrants to Democratic-run cities in an effort to highlight the border situation and to lessen the burden on border cities and towns. Many of the migrants stopped at the border in the first half of this year have been released on humanitarian parole or with notices to appear in immigration court, per the Associated Press.
New York and Washington have both struggled to accommodate the influx of migrants, with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) making repeated pleas to the Department of Defense to deploy the National Guard to assist with the thousands sent to the nation’s capital, only to be denied.
