OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign to send migrants who have crossed illegally into the U.S. to Democrat-run “sanctuary cities” is continuing and expanding.
Abbott noted Wednesday that his administration has sent the first busload of illegal migrants to Chicago, after sending migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City as well. The GOP governor argued that doing so provides “much-needed relief” to Texas border communities that have been overrun by illegal immigration since early in President Joe Biden’s term.
Illegal crossings skyrocketed after Biden reversed most of former President Donald Trump’s immigration and border security policies on his first day in office.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans — and Americans — at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” the Texas governor noted in a press release.
In addition, Abbott appeared to taunt Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) who he said “loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status.”
“Chicago is a welcoming city and as such has collaborated across various departments and agencies to ensure we greeted them with dignity and respect,” a spokesperson for Lightfoot’s office said in a statement, according to The Daily Wire. “As a city, we are doing everything we can to ensure these immigrants and their families can receive shelter, food, and most importantly, protection.”
The outlet said the statement went on to note that the Windy City welcomes “hundreds of migrants every year” and provides them with needed services.
“Unfortunately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is without any shame or humanity,” the statement added. “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.”
In fact, Texas has been providing much more care and services to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants for more than a year — far more than any of the cities where Abbott has been sending migrants. Also, Texas is paying millions for bus services.
CNN notes:
The state of Texas has spent more than $12 million busing migrants to Washington, DC, and New York who crossed into the state from Mexico, according to figures from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
A state government spreadsheet obtained by CNN through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that, as of August 9, Texas has paid $12,707,720.92 to Wynne Transportation, the charter service that is taking migrants to the two cities.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s office has said migrants are transported out of state only with their written permission.
“Because Joe Biden is not securing the border, the state of Texas is having to step up and spend Texas taxpayers’ money doing the federal government’s job,” the governor said in April, CNN noted further.
The Daily Wire adds: “Texas officials had bussed more than 6,500 migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City as of early August. Arizona has also bused about 1,000 migrants to other states.”
Customs and Border Protection announced last month that its agents and staff had encountered more than 2.2 million illegal migrants during fiscal year 2022 thus far.
Meanwhile, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, reported recently that 4.9 million illegal migrants have streamed across the U.S.-Mexico border during Biden’s presidency, “including some 900,000 ‘gotaways’ who eluded apprehension and have since disappeared into American communities.”
“Roughly the equivalent of the entire population of Ireland has illegally entered the United States in the 18 months President Biden has been in office, with many being released into American communities,” said Dan Stein, president of FAIR.
“In that time, the Biden administration has blamed an unprecedented surge of illegal immigration on all sorts of external factors, except their own sabotage of our nation’s immigration laws. The endless flow of illegal aliens and the incursion of lethal narcotics pouring across our border will not end until this administration demonstrates a willingness to enforce our laws,” Stein added.
