Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have argued over Texas’s migrant busing practices. While the southern state has been directing its gaze to NYC and Washington D.C., it has a new target in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago-Sun Times notes that about 79 immigrants had arrived at Union Station. Some people traveled for 30 to 40 days until reaching the U.S.-Mexico border. While Gov. Abbott tweeted his state would continue busing immigrants to democratic-controlled cities, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was not having it. While the immigrants who arrived were greeted with food, fresh clothes, and a place to take a hot shower, Lightfoot had some words for Gov. Abbott.
“This is not new; Chicago welcomes hundreds of migrants every year to our city and provides much-needed assistance,” she said in the statement. “Unfortunately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is without any shame or humanity. But ever since he put these racist expulsion practices in place, we have been working with our community partners to ready the city to receive these individuals.”
Lightfoot and Chicago Gov. J.B. Pritzker reiterated, “Illinois welcomes refugees, asylum-seekers, and immigrants.” This isn’t the first time Lightfoot has clashed with a Texas official. When Sen. Ted Cruz tried to pin gun violence on Chicago, Lightfoot promptly told him to keep their names out of his mouth. City agencies are working to provide social services to whoever arrives in Chicago, but Lightfoot still had more words for Abbott, as noted by the Chicago Tribune.
“Gov. Abbott has confirmed what, unfortunately, many of us already had known that he is a man without any morals, humanity or shame,” Lightfoot said. “Instead of treating these individuals with the respect they deserve or the due process we require.
Gov. Abbott chose instead to inhumanely load them onto buses, send them on a more-than-12-hour journey across a country they don’t know, and drop them off without regard for the next steps. These are human beings. Moms and dads, young children, and elders who deserve our respect and dignity.”