Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has called on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to stop sending immigrants to her city, saying they are “completely tapped out” and have “no more resources.” In a recent appearance on “CNN This Morning,” Lightfoot expressed concern about the lack of screening for the immigrants coming into Chicago from San Antonio, noting that over the last two to three weeks, 200 or more people have been arriving every day, with some having serious medical issues.
“We’ve seen people come off of these buses that he has sent who are victims of sexual assault, who have serious medical conditions that can’t be dealt with by the paramedics that we have on-site,” Lightfoot said. “They’ve got to be rushed to the hospital. Women who are in such an advanced stage of labor that they literally get off the bus and give birth within one of our facilities. That doesn’t make any sense.”
Lightfoot stressed that these immigrants are human beings and should not be treated as pawns in a political game. She believes that Abbott’s policy is not a solution to the immigration problem, but rather a way to shift the burden from Texas to other states.
“If we don’t put the humanity of these migrants front and center…I understand, and I’m solely compassionate to the fact that the borders are themselves really overrun, but you don’t solve that problem by simply sticking people on buses to a city that they didn’t ask to, for an uncertain future, and now we are literally full,” Lightfoot said.
In a letter to Abbott, Lightfoot expressed her concern about the influx of immigrants into Chicago and the lack of support from the federal government to help the city handle the situation. She urged Abbott to reconsider his policy and work with the federal government to find a solution that would benefit all parties involved.
“We have not heard anything back. And frankly, I didn’t expect to hear anything back, but I felt like it was important to once again try to engage the governor, but also let him know what his policies and practices are doing in cities like Chicago,” Lightfoot said.
She also noted that the situation in Chicago is not unique and that other cities are facing similar challenges. Lightfoot believes that the federal government needs to step up and provide support to cities dealing with the influx of immigrants.
“What’s getting lost in what the governor is doing is the fact that these are human beings,” Lightfoot said. “In any other emergency, you would be coordinating. You would be collaborating. You would be talking about specifically what the needs of the people are.”
The situation at the border has become increasingly contentious in recent months, with Republicans blaming President Biden for the surge of immigrants and Democrats calling for more support for the immigrants and their families. Lightfoot’s comments reflect the growing frustration felt by many city leaders who are struggling to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Lightfoot’s plea to Governor Abbott to stop sending immigrants to Chicago highlights the impact that immigration policies can have on cities and their residents. As the debate over immigration continues, it is important to remember the humanity of those affected and to work together to find solutions that benefit everyone involved.
This piece was written by LifeZette on May 1, 2023. It originally appeared in LifeZette [1] and is used by permission.
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