Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Sunday urging him not to bus immigrants to Chicago, calling his move “inhumane and dangerous.”
“Chicago is a welcoming city, and we are working with county, state and community partners to address this challenge, but your lack of focus or coordination to create confusion and score political points has created a major bottleneck in our ability to receive individuals and families in a safe, orderly and dignified manner,” Lightfoot said. wrote Letter.
Lightfoot said Texas plans to send more immigrants to Chicago starting Monday, which he argued against, noting Chicago doesn’t have the resources to house the immigrants. Since Chicago responded to an influx of immigrants sent by Texas in August 2022, the city has taken care of more than 8,000 people, he said in the letter.
He wrote that Chicago “no longer has the shelters, spaces or resources” to address another influx of immigrants to the city.
He said many of the migrants needed food, water and medical care, all of which he said Texas failed to address. He also pointed out that some of the immigrants who came to Chicago were victims of sexual assault or forced labor, and reiterated that those urgent needs were not being addressed in Texas.
“I know by your actions that you neither see nor care about the trauma these migrants are already facing under the humanitarian crisis you have created,” Lightfoot wrote. “But I’m begging you anyway: treat these people with the respect and dignity they deserve. Tell them to go to Chicago or face inhumane treatment.
Sending them here is an inevitable and misguided choice.
It’s not the first time Lightfoot has called on governors to stop busing immigrants to his city. He had earlier blasted Abbott’s move to send migrants to Chicago, saying in September that migrants sent from Texas had been treated with “lack of respect” and “a lack of dignity”.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) criticized the move to the Democratic-led cities, calling it “unfair” to burden local governments with what he called a “national duty” earlier this year.
In his letter on Sunday, Lightfoot emphasized that immigration is a “national challenge.”
“Governor Abbott, this is not a state vs. state or city vs. city issue. The immigration crisis is a national challenge that requires national cooperation. Let us work together to find a real solution, for the good of our country and the good of the individuals who have taken refuge. That real solution will not be unilaterally busing immigrants into cities like Chicago,” he concluded.
The Hill reached out to Abbott’s office for comment.
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