May 1, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Chicago mayor urges Texas governor to stop busing migrants

 Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot reacts as she speaks during election night rally at Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council on February 28, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at a February event in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a letter Sunday to stop sending migrant buses to the city because it has "no more shelters, spaces, or resources to accommodate" any more.

Driving the news: The outgoing mayor said in the letter she's aware the state was due to "resume bussing individuals and families" to Chicago and other cities from Monday — a practice she called "inhumane and dangerous." She said they continued to "suffer under the humanitarian crisis you have created."

A screenshot of a tweet by a Chicago mayor spokesperson stating: "Today,  @chicagosmayor  sent a letter to Governor Greg Abbott urging his administration to stop the inhumane and dangerous action of bussing migrants to Chicago.   We are aware that Texas is planning to resume bussing individuals and families to cities including Chicago."
Photo: Chicago mayor spokesperson Ryan Johnson/Twitter

The big picture: Abbott has spent millions of dollars on sending undocumented migrants on hundreds of charter buses to Democratic-led cities in protest at President Biden's border policies.

  • The mayors of D.C. and New York City have called for federal assistance to help them deal with the issue. N.Y.C. Mayor Eric Adams said last month his city "is being destroyed by the migrant crisis."

What they're saying: Representatives for Abbott did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment, but he's said previously that before his state began busing the migrants "it was just Texas and Arizona that bore the brunt" of the issue.

  • "Now, the rest of America can understand exactly what is going on," he added.
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