Texas begins flying migrants from US-Mexico border to Chicago, with 1st airplane carrying 120 individuals

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has begun flying migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago after town took a more durable stance on the buses that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been sending north since final 12 months.

The primary flight of 120 migrants arrived Tuesday, in line with Abbott’s workplace.

The governor directed state officers to start busing migrants to Democratic-led cities beginning in April 2022. Over 80,000 migrants have since been relocated by means of the hassle as a part of the governor’s multi-pronged border safety mission, referred to as Operation Lone Star, together with 23,000 to Chicago.

Chicago’s metropolis council voted final week to toughen penalties on bus operators that don’t unload passengers at a chosen arrival location or fill out metropolis paperwork. Town has stated operators started making an attempt to drop individuals off in neighboring cities to keep away from penalties together with fines, towing or impoundment.

Considerations have arisen in regards to the dwelling situations and medical care supplied for asylum-seekers arriving in Chicago, spotlighted by the loss of life final weekend of a 5-year-old boy dwelling at a short lived shelter for migrants.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark in regards to the flights.

Abbot spokesman Andrew Mahaleris stated in an announcement that the choice to start out sending migrants there by airplane was made as a result of Johnson is just not dwelling as much as Chicago’s “Welcoming Metropolis” ordinance and “concentrating on migrant buses from Texas.”

“Till President Biden steps up and does his job to safe the border, Texas will proceed taking historic motion to assist our native companions reply to this Biden-made disaster,” Mahaleris stated.

Abbott’s multibillion-dollar border effort has additionally included stringing razor wire alongside the frontier, putting in buoy limitations within the Rio Grande and deploying extra officers.

Earlier this week, Abbott signed a measure permitting police to arrest migrants who cross the U.S. border illegally and authorizing native judges to get them organized overseas.

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This story has been up to date to appropriate that the primary flight arrived in Chicago on Tuesday.