Abbott: Expect more foreign nationals to be bused to Chicago from Texas

[September 02, 2022]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Expect more foreign nationals to be bused from Texas to Chicago as the city’s “sanctuary” status is being used by Texas’ governor to highlight the nation’s porous border with Mexico.

Chicago is now on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s list of bus stops for undocumented foreign nationals after flooding into the Lone Star State.

Since April, Abbott has been sending buses of migrants to cities with lax positions on enforcing immigration. He said officials from Washington D.C. and New York City, where he’s already sent buses of around 10,000 migrants, have complained, despite being self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities.”

“It shows that they are dealing with a trickle of what we are dealing with every single day and are incapable of handling it,” Abbott recently told a crowd in audio, KRDL News in Texas reported.

Last month, the Federation For American Immigration Reform reported 4.9 million people have crossed the border illegally since Biden took office in 2021.

Abbott talked about his strategy to highlight the flood of foreign nationals entering his state illegally and inundating local border communities with thousands of people.

“Well, I’ve got news for New York, I’ve got news for Washington D.C., as well as the rest of the country, we are not done yet,” Abbott said. “There are more cities on our list and we will keep those buses going.”

Wednesday night, around 60 migrants that crossed the border illegally into Texas arrived in Chicago. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said they’re directing public and private resources where they can. But, Lightfoot criticized Abbott for the move.

“Shame on him. He brings a stain on our nation,” Lightfoot told CBS Chicago. “This absolutely can not continue. We’ve got to rally together at this time, help these people that are in need. We shouldn’t be in this situation where families are thrown on buses.”

Chicago is ready and prepared, Lightfoot said.

“We will make sure that none of these folks will be left in the lurch,” Lightfoot said. “There’s got to be a better way.”

Abbott has pleaded with the Biden administration to close the border. In the absence of that, Texas resources are going to patrol, arrest and process violators, and even build a wall along the border.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said Illinois will remain a welcoming state and highlighted the state’s Trust Act from 2017 that prohibits local law enforcement from working with federal immigration enforcement officers dealing with immigration detainment orders.

“What Texas Governor Greg Abbot is doing is abhorrent,” Welch said in a statement. “Using men, women, and children seeking asylum as political pawns is inhumane. While he's wasting $12 million taxpayer dollars on these stunts, Illinois will be working with state and federal officials to ensure these new Americans find opportunity, peace, and a new home in Illinois."

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield.