Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop shipping busloads of migrants to her city, saying resources are lacking to absorb more, Politico reports. “Your lack of consideration or coordination in an attempt to cause chaos and score political points has resulted in a critical tipping point in our ability to receive individuals and families in a safe, orderly, and dignified way,” said Lightfoot, who is set to leave office this month. Saying she had been informed that Texas planned to resume sending migrants on May 1, Lightfoot added: “We simply have no more shelters, spaces, or resources to accommodate an increase of individuals at this level, with little coordination or care, that does not pose a risk to them or others.”The transporting of migrants from the Southwest to cities led by Democrats — some have been dropped off at Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, D.C., — has become a hot button issue, particularly when migrants show up in communities that have not had prior warnings about when they would arrive.
New York Mayor Eric Adams has been particularly outspoken about the hardships his city is facing, and he has been sharply critical of President Biden for not dealing with the situation at the border. Officials in border states have blamed the Biden administration for the influx of migrants and said they are trying to distribute the burden of having to accommodate them. In discussing sending migrants to Washington in 2022, Abbott said: “We are sending them to the United States capital, where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.” In her letter, Lightfoot complained that some migrants have arrived “in dire need of food, water, and clothing” and echoed criticism that these migrants are being used as political pawns.
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