Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vowed Monday he would continue busing migrants to Democratic cities — an ongoing stunt he and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been using to score political points for months, all at the expense of vulnerable migrants.
Abbott’s remarks came after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) sent a letter to Abbott, saying the city does not have the resources to keep up with the flow of people that he is busing to the city unannounced.
“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. “We simply have no more shelters, spaces, or resources to accommodate an increase of individuals at this level, with little coordination or care, that does not pose a risk to them or others.
“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,” she added.
Lightfoot also argued that federal resources flow into states like Texas to mitigate the financial impact of immigration but that immigrants bused or flown to Chicago are not receiving that money.
“Nearly all the migrants have been in dire need of food, water, and clothing and many needed extensive medical care. Some of the individuals you placed on buses were women in active labor, and some were victims of sexual assault. None of these urgent needs were addressed in Texas,” she wrote.
In a response to Lightfoot’s letter, Abbott told the Chicago mayor to take her complaint to President Joe Biden.
“As the mayor of a self-declared sanctuary city, it is ironic to hear you complain about Chicago’s struggle to deal with a few thousand illegal immigrants, which is a fraction of the record-high numbers we deal with in Texas on a regular basis,” Abbott responded. “To provide much-needed relief to our overrun border communities, Texas began busing migrants to sanctuary cities such as your ‘Welcoming City.’”
“Until Biden secures the border to stop the inflow of mass migration, Texas will continue this necessary program,” he added.
Texas has spent millions of taxpayer dollars on the busing program to send migrants to Democratic cities like Washington D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. Last year, Abbott even dropped off migrants in the freezing cold in Washington on Christmas Eve outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ home.
DeSantis has taken Abbott’s border state stunt several steps further.
In September 2022, he one-upped Abbott when he flew migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard – promising them aid – and dropped them on the island without notifying local authorities.
