Chicago leaders urging Texas officials to limit buses of migrants
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A group of Chicago aldermen and aides to Mayor Brandon Johnson spent their second day at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday as they assessed the migrant conditions in Texas for themselves.
The visit to El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen, and Brownsville is intended to better inform Chicago's response to the ongoing influx of migrants, most of whom have been sent to the city from Texas.
Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th) said city officials will deliver the same message to local leaders in Texas – that migrants sent to Chicago from Texas are not equipped to handle the upcoming winter cold and that the city does not have enough resources to support them.
Robinson said one possible solution is for Congress to pass new immigration reforms. However, the House remains at a standstill, with Republicans yet to agree on who to elect as the new Speaker.
Another possibility is for President Joe Biden to issue a federal disaster declaration that would open up resources for Chicago, including funding to help fuel nonprofits struggling to handle the increase in demand.
During the trip, Chicago officials met with leaders in El Paso on Tuesday and Wednesday and plan to do the same soon in San Antonio. Robinson said he believes their request to possibly limit buses to Chicago and create a more targeted plan for aid was well received.
"Putting migrants on buses without warm clothing, without shoes, that is a big problem. We are putting folks in danger, and so having those conversations around what should a migrant come to Chicago with, how to prepare them for the city of Chicago, that message again was clear. I believe that officials that are here in Texas understand that," he said.
The Chicago delegation will be in Texas until Friday. They are expected to arrive in San Antonio on Wednesday night.
