In a fiery speech, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot assailed Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Christianity while criticising the politician for transporting undocumented immigrants to her city.
After witnessing the arrival of another 75 asylum seekers hours earlier and welcoming 60, albeit reluctantly, on Wednesday, Lightfoot, 60, criticised the GOP governor on Sunday.
During a news conference at City Hall, Democrat Lightfoot, who has often praised Chicago as a “sanctuary city,” seemed to take issue with Abbott’s migrant stance, calling it “un-American” and “racist.”
It happens as Abbott has ordered dozens of buses to transport thousands of migrants to both the Big Apple and Washington, DC, with the Windy City joining that list this week, in an effort to call the cities’ bluff and show them the realities of his state’s border issue.
After receiving the second wave of refugees on Sunday, Lightfoot accused Governor Greg Abbott, 64, of “creating a human disaster” and even questioned his Christian faith.
After Texas Governor Greg Abbott dispatched another 75 migrants to her city on Sunday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticised him and questioned the role of his faith in the decision.
At a press conference on Sunday, Lightfoot stated, “He professes to be a Christian.”
“This is not the Christianity or the Bible’s teachings that I am familiar with.” And I believe that religious authorities are speaking out against this across the nation.
Lightfoot, an African-American progressive who cut $59 million from her city’s police budget in 2020 but abruptly changed her mind in 2021 amid rising violence, continued by saying Chicago is delighted to welcome new inhabitants but accused Abbott of using the migrants as political pawns.
Lightfoot also criticised Abbott’s tactics in his address on Sunday, calling it “unpatriotic” after earlier calling it “racist.”
At the news conference, she said, “I believe it’s certainly disrespectful and un-American,” before adding, “I appreciate the issue Texans are now experiencing at the border.”
I am aware of the strains on the residents of Texas and several other border areas, Lightfoot added. “We see that every day,”
But this is not the right thing to do, she continued. A human catastrophe is being caused by this. Furthermore, treating others disrespectfully is against who we Americans are.
Less than a month before, Lightfoot boldly said that her city would welcome migrants despite the turbulence at the southern border; during Sunday’s address, she seemed to retract that statement.
She expressed her annoyance at the governor of Texas’ conduct at a news conference. She continued, saying that although she welcomes newcomers, she opposes Abbott’s strategy of busing refugees into her community and calls it cruel.
He might have chosen to cooperate and coordinate to some extent, but he doesn’t. Lightfoot said, “That’s intolerable. Instead, he decides to ship human beings across the country to an unknown destiny.”
He is inventing a human catastrophe, and it makes no sense to me, she said once again.
The mayor continued by restating her commitment to helping migrants find housing, employment, and educational opportunities that she had promised in a speech given on Wednesday afternoon after the entry of the first wave of migrants into the city.
We are a friendly city. She told the gathering on Sunday, “We are always going to stand up and do the right thing to make sure that migrants arriving to our city are properly accepted, that they are supported.”
In order to supply the immigrants with needs like clothing, shoes, diapers, and blankets, the Democrat announced the opening of a contribution website for the refugees as she closed her speech.
Immediately following Abbott’s announcement that he would keep sending buses to Chicago in addition to New York and Washington, DC, to help ease the stress caused down South by a recent increase in illegal immigration under President Joe Biden’s administration, she demanded that willing participants sign up and volunteer for the fundraiser.
We need to make sure that the impression foreign visitors have of Chicago and the United States is positive because many of them are families with young children who are often experiencing democracy and freedom for the first time.
No matter where their life path takes them, I want them to know at this very moment that they came to our city and we welcomed them, loved them, and supported them.
Similarly severe remarks made by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who termed the busing of migrants to his city at Abbott’s command “horrific,” were repeated in Lightfoot’s criticism of Abbott.
Despite criticising the Texas governor for what she termed a political ploy, Lightfoot continued by repeating statements made in a speech on Wednesday afternoon that she would assist them in finding housing, employment, and educational opportunities.
In response to allegations that Abbott’s administration has been using barcoded wristbands to track the migrants and make sure they reach their destinations, Adams said, “When you think about this country, a country that has always been open to those who are fleeing persecution and other intolerable conditions, we’ve always welcomed that.”
“This governor isn’t doing that in Texas,” we will say, “but we’re going to set the proper tone and convey the correct message that we’re here for these families.”
Adams said at the time that many of the families travelling on the hundreds of buses his city had already accepted from the Lone Star State were being held against their will and unable to go as they pleased.
The criticism of Abbott by Lightfoot was similar to that of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has described the busing of immigrants into his city as “horrific.”
Adams stated, “This is awful when you consider what the governor, the governor of Texas, is doing, sending people on the bus with no guidance after months of journeying over the border.”
In a statement released a few days later, Abbott defended the Operation Lone Star police, claiming it had filled in the “dangerous gaps” left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border.
More than 290,700 migrants have been apprehended since Operation Lone Star began, and the multi-agency operation has resulted in more than 18,000 criminal arrests and more than 15,400 felony charges, according to Abbott’s statement.
Over 325.9 million fatal doses of fentanyl have been confiscated by DPS throughout the state as part of the campaign against it.
Since starting the busing operation in April, Texas has also transported over 6,500 migrants to the nation’s capital, and now New York City, to help our overburdened border towns.
Adams, 61, has called for the Republican to be removed from office in the impending midterm elections in November amid the two parties’ ongoing verbal battle, charging that he, like Lightfoot, used the migrants “as political pawns to generate a crisis.”
Following that, Abbott retaliated once again, branding the former police captain a hypocrite for requesting that Texas stop sending buses.
Abbott noted that Adams “talked the talk” of being a sanctuary city and “welcoming illegal immigrants into the Big Apple with warm hospitality.” ‘Talk is cheap.’
He continued, saying, “When forced to carry out such misguided ideas, he wants to criticise everybody who is pressuring him to walk the walk.”
Later that day, in a retort that was uncannily identical to Lightfoot’s statements, Adams called Abbott a “un-American” via a spokeswoman.
According to Governor Abbott’s office, more than 10,000 migrants have now been transported by bus to Chicago, NYC, and Washington, DC.
Adam started his harsh remark, “Someone fetch this guy a dictionary.” Hypocrisy is saying you love America while criticising the phrases on the Statue of Liberty, according to the saying.
He said that despite Abbott’s remarks, ‘New York City will continue to welcome asylum seekers with open arms.’
‘These individuals and families have been through hell, and they deserve more than being used as political pawns by a governor who cares about nothing more than re-election,’ Adams added.
The three locations mentioned above have received more than 10,000 migrants so far, with nearly 7,000 sent to Washington over the past few months and more than 5,000 sent to New York over the last few weeks.
Chicago has only accepted 135 migrants as of right now, but that figure is expected to rise over the next several months.
In the interim, until authorities find them a permanent home, migrants entering all three cities from the border will be temporarily housed at taxpayer expense in hotels.