CHICAGO —The mayors of Chicago, NY and Denver on Wednesday redoubled their calls for more federal aid and coordination with Texas amid the growing number of asylum seekers arriving in their cities by bus and plane.
The officials made their requests at a time when some cities in the United States are struggling to manage the increase in the number of migrants sent from Texas and other border states in the face of the migratory wave. Through the operation ordered by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, since last year more than 80,000 migrants have been sent by buses to cities governed by Democrats. Recently his government has intensified this practice with chartered planes.
The mayors harshly criticized Abbott and the initiative, saying that buses arrive at all hours, outside the designated arrival zones and without information about passengers.
“We cannot allow buses with people who need our help to arrive without prior notice at any time of the day or night,” declared New York Mayor Eric Adams in a virtual press conference with the other mayors. “Not only does this prevent us from providing aid in an orderly manner, it endangers those who have already suffered so much.”
Chicago has cracked down on so-called “rogue” buses, filing lawsuits, fines and penalties. In recent weeks, buses have attempted to evade sanctions, dropping passengers off at unscheduled stops on the outskirts, forcing officials and local authorities to intervene. Recently, a bus dropped off a group of migrants in the middle of the night at a gas station in the city of Kankakee, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from Chicago.
Chaos from the border to the cities
“The lack of attention seen over the last year and a half has created incredible chaos,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. More than 26,000 migrants have arrived in the city since last year.
The authorities of the border states face the same situation of chaos in the face of the immigration crisis where thousands of immigrants arrive every day, a situation that Abbott has asked President Joe Biden to solve without there being a definitive answer so far.
Adams said New York City would implement rules similar to Chicago’s, and on Wednesday he announced an executive order requiring buses to arrive only between 8:30 a.m. and noon on weekdays at a only place of arrival, or else they will face fines, lawsuits or the seizure of the buses. Denver has similar rules about stopping on weekdays during certain hours.
Millionaire costs to taxpayers
In New York, more than 161,000 migrants have arrived and applied for municipal aid since spring 2022, including 4,000 just last week, Adams and other officials said this week.
The Democratic mayors met with President Joe Biden last month, after which they sent a letter requesting more help. They want more federal funding, efforts to expand work authorizations and a schedule for bus arrivals.
Cities have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars to house, transport and provide medical care to migrants.
“This will overwhelm municipal budgets across the country,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. The city has received more than 35,000 migrants in the last year.
One-way tickets to other places
New York has offered migrants one-way tickets out of the city, and the mayor traveled to Latin America to discourage them from coming. Members of Johnson’s government also visited border towns this year in an attempt to open lines of communication.
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to an email message left Wednesday. A spokesperson has previously said that the Texas governor will continue to “take historic steps” until the Biden administration secures the border.
Source: With information from AP
