Approximately 60 migrants coming from Texas were dropped off at Chicago’s Union Station on Wednesday night, officials said.
Ryan Johnson, a representative for Mayor Lori Lightfoot, confirmed the information.
“Today, the City of Chicago received confirmation that approximately 60 migrants were traveling to Chicago by way of Texas,” according to Johnson in a tweet.
“Chicago is a welcoming city and as such has collaborated across various departments and agencies to ensure we greeted them with dignity and respect. We understand that many are fleeing violent, traumatic, or otherwise unstable environments,” Johnson said.
“We will respond with essential services while these individuals navigate the next steps of their journey and our community partners have been working diligently to provide a safety net,” according to Johnson.
“As a city, we are doing everything we can to ensure these immigrants and their families can receive shelter, food, and most importantly protection. This is not new; Chicago welcomes hundreds of migrants every year to our city and provides much-needed assistance,” Johnson said.
“Unfortunately, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is without any shame or humanity,” Johnson said. “But ever since he put these racist practices of expulsion in place, we have been working with our community partners to ready the city to receive these individuals.
Afternoon Briefing
Daily
Chicago Tribune editors’ top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.
“We know that racism, discrimination, and human cruelty have played a pivotal role in how immigrants are received within our borders, and we are still working to recover from the previous presidential administration, which encouraged this behavior,” Johnson said.
“This is such an important moment for Chicago as a city has been a sanctuary for thousands of newcomers,” Johnson said. “We are welcoming them and we will not turn our backs on those who need our help the most.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the arrival of the “first group” of migrants bused to Chicago in a separate statement Wednesday night.
Abbott’s statement said that in addition to Washington, D.C., and New York City, Chicago will now be a drop-off location for the busing strategy as part of the his response to President Biden’s open border policies overwhelming border communities in Texas.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans — and Americans — at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” said Abbott in the statement.
As of 9 p.m., several large buses were parked on the Canal Street side of the station. A group of about a dozen men were standing near the buses. A Chicago police officer stood by the men.
Check back for details.
