The mayor of Chicago, Illinois, Lori Lightfoot, issued an emergency declaration regarding the arrival of immigrants in the city. The Democrat warned that they have reached "a critical point in the response to this humanitarian crisis":
Yes, of course, we are a welcoming city and always do the right thing for our immigrant and refugee communities, but we have reached a critical point in our response to this humanitarian crisis.
According to the statement, the emergency was issued in response "to the surge of new arrivals since last month, with a large number of people, mostly families, being inhumanely bused to Chicago by Texas Governor Greg Abbott."
However, the statement is also taken as a precautionary measure in the face of the immigration flood that is anticipated after the end of Title 42 on May 11. Authorities expect between 10,000 and 16,000 illegals to arrive daily at the border and the emergency gives Lightfoot the power to request assistance from the Illinois National Guard:
We all need to understand that this crisis will likely deepen before we see it get better, so as we move forward, the City of Chicago will need to bring additional locations online to prepare for the influx of more people and families and to relieve the Chicago Police.
Lighfoot blames Texas governor
Chicago has received about 8,000 immigrants since August 2022. They arrived in the city by bus from border states such as Texas and Arizona. The mayor sent a letter to Governor Abbott in late April, asking him to stop sending illegals:
Some of the people he placed on the buses were women in active labor and some were victims of sexual assault. None of these urgent needs were addressed in Texas. Instead, these individuals and families were put on buses and sent across the country as cargo without regard to their personal circumstances.
Abbott justifies his decision to send people to Democratic states or cities because of their "sanctuary" policies that are favorable to illegal immigration. He also blames the Biden Administration for implementing measures that have only worsened the crisis in Texas and spilled over the border.
"We need a national solution"
In the statement Lightfoot detailed that the illegals are being sheltered temporarily in police stations because the city's resources are stretched to the limit. In addition, she requested additional funds from the federal and state governments to withstand the new mass influx expected after the expiration of Title 42:
We need a national solution to this national challenge. This cannot be done city by city, state by state. It has to be comprehensive and originated by the federal government. Almost all of the migrants have been in great need of food, water and clothing, and many were in need of medical attention.
The City has continued to ask the federal and state governments to support the newcomer mission with much needed additional funding and resources for emergency shelter and resettlement, as there are currently insufficient resources to meet the need.
Illinois, the only state to provide comprehensive health care to older immigrants
Some Republican state lawmakers criticized that Illinois is the only state that provides comprehensive health care to illegals over 65. A recent report revealed that the cost of that care is projected to skyrocket to nearly $1 billion in fiscal year 2024.
Congressman Marty McLaughlin commented during budget talks in the state House of Representatives that the needs of Illinois citizens should be met first and then those of illegals:
Please serve, protect, and honor your promise to take care of Illinois citizens first, particularly the most vulnerable, as we get through the budget over the next 10 days.
