Failed Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot has declared an “emergency” in Chicago as the so-called “sanctuary city” reaches breaking point over the influx of migrants from the southern border.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott has continued his policy of busing illegal migrants to Chicago from Texas border towns.
However, despite identifying as a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants, Lightfoot claims Chicago cannot cope with the “migrant inflow” from the border.
The mayor’s office said in a statement that the emergency declaration comes as the number of individuals and family groups arriving in Chicago surges.
“I declare that a state of emergency exists in the City of Chicago as a result of the migrant inflow … exceeding the City’s ability to manage that inflow,” Lightfoot said in her emergency declaration.
Lightfoot has also called on Illinois’ Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker to mobilize the National Guard to provide staffing and logistical support.
The housing of illegal immigrants has been spilling over from established and new facilities into police stations, where some are temporarily sheltering.
Chicago has received more than 8,000 illegal immigrants since August 2022, stretching its resources to the limit.
The city has redirected some people to other towns, prompting criticism from conservatives.
Meanwhile, Gov. Abbott has pointed out that border towns will soon be expecting roughly 10,000 border crosses per day, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The number will skyrocket when Democrat President Joe Biden ends Title 42 on May 11, as Slay News reported.
President Donald Trump’s successful Title 42 policy has been used to swiftly expel illegal immigrants at the border.
It was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and sent illegal border crossers back to Mexico.
It was first implemented in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, to stem the spread of the virus in crowded detention settings.
Lightfoot’s office said the matter requires swift action.
“This humanitarian crisis has required collective and swift action, which is why the City has partnered with a variety of City departments, Aldermen, community-based organizations, and community leaders to identify sites to serve as temporary respite centers and temporary shelters to address this recent surge in new arrivals,” Lightfoot’s office said in a statement.
Abbott has been busing illegal immigrants from Texas to various Democrat-run sanctuary cities, like Chicago, since August 2022.
The move highlights the number of immigrants border towns deal with daily.
It also serves as a form of protest against Biden’s response to record-high illegal border crossings.
The illegal immigrants arriving in Chicago and other cities were apprehended by federal authorities upon entering the United States and later released in border towns.
The governors of border states, such as Texas, Arizona, and Florida, have then offered bus transport to Chicago, New York, and others that claim to be “sanctuary cities.”
Their mayors have criticized this strategy as inhumane and “racist.”
So-called “sanctuary cities” have historically refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities that might arrest or deport illegal immigrants.
Lightfoot’s office said the city will set up new locations to prepare for more arrivals and to relieve Chicago Police Department districts.
“The City has continued to call on federal and state governments to support the new arrival mission with much-needed additional funding and resources for emergency shelter and resettlement, as there are not enough resources currently to meet the need,” the mayor’s office said.
