Texas flies 120 migrants to Chicago as part of state's million-dollar operation

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Texas flew more than 120 migrants from El Paso to Chicago Tuesday night as Gov. Greg Abbott continues his efforts to take individuals crossing the border into Texas and move them to so-called "sanctuary cities."

The City of Chicago's website says sanctuary cities "will not ask about your immigration status, disclose that information to authorities, or, most importantly, deny you City services based on your immigration status."

This week's flight of migrants isn't the first time people crossing the border were shipped out of Texas on taxpayers' dime.

13 Investigates found Texas spent $89 million from July 18, 2022, through October 12, 2023, to bus migrants out of state.

On Wednesday, Gov. Abbott announced the state has voluntarily transported nearly 83,000 migrants. More than 30,200 migrants were sent to New York City, at least 24,500 were sent to Chicago, more than 12,500 were bussed to Washington, D.C., 11,100 to Denver, and another 1,250 to Los Angeles, according to Abbott.

The governor's office is calling the flying of migrants to sanctuary cities a "historic" new action that's part of Operation Lone Star. But on top of moving more migrants, it's escalating the war of words between Texas Gov. Abbott and Chicago Mayor Johnson.

With migrants arriving by the bus load, earlier this month Chicago's city council passed an ordinance that would tow and impound buses not properly permitted and that do not drop off migrants in a designated landing zones.

Chicago has already utilized the ordinance by towing and impounding an unpermitted bus that travelled from Eagle Pass, Texas to Chicago with 49 passengers.

"It's disheartening that the Governor of Texas is evoking chaos without a real clear willingness to coordinate," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said earlier this week.

For weeks, Abbott has been ramping up his bus program, and accelerating the surge of migrants to democratically run cities.

Abbott's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement that "because Mayor Johnson is failing to live up to his city's 'Welcoming City' ordinance by targeting migrant buses from Texas, we are expanding our operation to include flights to Chicago, like the Biden Administration has been doing across the country."

"Governor Abbott launched the border bus mission in April 2022 to provide support to our overrun and overwhelmed border communities as the Biden Administration leaves thousands of migrants in their towns. Until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue taking historic action to help our local partners respond to this Biden-made crisis," Mahaleris said.

Chicago said it is working to find space for the asylum seekers who were dropped off and are currently staying at the airport.

For updates on this story, follow Kevin Ozebek on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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