Pritzker urges Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop migrant dropoffs amid winter storm: ‘I plead with you for mercy’

[Anonymous]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2024/1/12/24036176/pritzker-urges-texas-gov-greg-abbott-to-stop-migrant-dropoffs-amid-winter-storm

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday sent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a sweeping letter about the ongoing migrant crisis, urging him to stop dropoffs during a dangerous winter storm.

“While action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves,” Pritzker said in the letter. “Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state.”

“Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals,” Pritzker wrote. “Hundreds of children’s and families’ health and survival are at risk due to your actions.”

According to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Chicago has received an estimated 34,562 migrants since the dropoffs began. That includes 4,468 people who have arrived on daily flights to O’Hare and Midway international airports since June 2023.

The citizens of Chicago should take the vulnerable migrants into their homes and provide them with warm shelter and food. There are enough people who could do so to save these poor people’s lives.

[Anonymous]

Republicans are sociopaths. They don't care. They don't care if people freeze, starve, or whatever. And, the cruelty isn't by accident, it's by design.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Republicans are sociopaths. They don't care. They don't care if people freeze, starve, or whatever. And, the cruelty isn't by accident, it's by design.

What’s stopping the people living in the sanctuary city of Chicago from housing these people? Why don’t the good democrats take them in to stop them from freezing to death?

[Anonymous]

Speaking as a Democrat, the reaction of blue cities and Democrats to these dropoffs has swayed me to the Republican side on immigration. Why should Texas and other states on the frontlines deal alone with the burden of undocumented immigrants and the effects of failed national immigration policy? It’s perfectly fair to share the burden. Let Chicago, NYC, and other blue cities deal with it just as they expected El Paso, Laredo, and Brownsville to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking as a Democrat, the reaction of blue cities and Democrats to these dropoffs has swayed me to the Republican side on immigration. Why should Texas and other states on the frontlines deal alone with the burden of undocumented immigrants and the effects of failed national immigration policy? It’s perfectly fair to share the burden. Let Chicago, NYC, and other blue cities deal with it just as they expected El Paso, Laredo, and Brownsville to deal with it.

“Hello fellow Democrats!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking as a Democrat, the reaction of blue cities and Democrats to these dropoffs has swayed me to the Republican side on immigration. Why should Texas and other states on the frontlines deal alone with the burden of undocumented immigrants and the effects of failed national immigration policy? It’s perfectly fair to share the burden. Let Chicago, NYC, and other blue cities deal with it just as they expected El Paso, Laredo, and Brownsville to deal with it.

Another liberal here who is the daughter and wife of immigrants, and is typically pro-immigration - and I totally agree with you. This is a huge problem and we can't underestimate the burden this puts on border states like Texas. However, Abbott would get a lot more support if he coordinated and tried to cooperate with blue cities and states to take migrants in. "Hey, I have three busloads that have family in Chicago and want to go there, will there be support waiting for them if they leave on Thursday?" Then, if Pritzker says no, we can't handle them, everyone will see him as the hypocrate he is.

I'm a Chicago native who lived for several years in Texas. Perhaps I'm naive to think that states should be working together here since the Feds seem to be doing nothing about this problem. Blue states and cities should absolutely be stepping up to the plate here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Republicans are sociopaths. They don't care. They don't care if people freeze, starve, or whatever. And, the cruelty isn't by accident, it's by design.

What’s stopping the people living in the sanctuary city of Chicago from housing these people? Why don’t the good democrats take them in to stop them from freezing to death?

What is Chicago supposed to do, pick up a stick along a roadside and wave it around Harry Potter style while yelling "Habitatum ex nihilo" expecting housing to magically appear out of nowhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking as a Democrat, the reaction of blue cities and Democrats to these dropoffs has swayed me to the Republican side on immigration. Why should Texas and other states on the frontlines deal alone with the burden of undocumented immigrants and the effects of failed national immigration policy? It’s perfectly fair to share the burden. Let Chicago, NYC, and other blue cities deal with it just as they expected El Paso, Laredo, and Brownsville to deal with it.

Maybe Abbot should look to California to figure out how to deal with it. They somehow manage without having to devolved into these sociopathic histrionics.

[Anonymous]

The issue is that Chicago already has its shelters full with homeless Americans. Better for these migrants to stay in warm weather locations if they can’t be immediately sheltered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that Chicago already has its shelters full with homeless Americans. Better for these migrants to stay in warm weather locations if they can’t be immediately sheltered.

Do you mean in Mexico?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Republicans are sociopaths. They don't care. They don't care if people freeze, starve, or whatever. And, the cruelty isn't by accident, it's by design.

What’s stopping the people living in the sanctuary city of Chicago from housing these people? Why don’t the good democrats take them in to stop them from freezing to death?

Are any authorities or charitable organizations in Chicago ever given notice of when and where and how many of these immigrants will arrive in advance of their arrival? In many instances, there has been no notice. Texas isn’t wrong to spread the pain around — in fact, I think it’s fair for states that aren’t on the border to absorb their share of undocumented immigrants — but it’s a deadly situation to drop these people from warmer climates into the middle of a bomb cyclone to fend for themselves without resources. That doesn’t punish the citizens of Chicago; it punishes vulnerable people, some of whom have legitimate asylum claims.

[Anonymous]

Surely Chicago has a stadium or other facility where they can house them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Republicans are sociopaths. They don't care. They don't care if people freeze, starve, or whatever. And, the cruelty isn't by accident, it's by design.

What’s stopping the people living in the sanctuary city of Chicago from housing these people? Why don’t the good democrats take them in to stop them from freezing to death?

Are any authorities or charitable organizations in Chicago ever given notice of when and where and how many of these immigrants will arrive in advance of their arrival? In many instances, there has been no notice. Texas isn’t wrong to spread the pain around — in fact, I think it’s fair for states that aren’t on the border to absorb their share of undocumented immigrants — but it’s a deadly situation to drop these people from warmer climates into the middle of a bomb cyclone to fend for themselves without resources. That doesn’t punish the citizens of Chicago; it punishes vulnerable people, some of whom have legitimate asylum claims.

Does Texas have any control over when it receives illegal immigrants?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Republicans are sociopaths. They don't care. They don't care if people freeze, starve, or whatever. And, the cruelty isn't by accident, it's by design.

What’s stopping the people living in the sanctuary city of Chicago from housing these people? Why don’t the good democrats take them in to stop them from freezing to death?

Are any authorities or charitable organizations in Chicago ever given notice of when and where and how many of these immigrants will arrive in advance of their arrival? In many instances, there has been no notice. Texas isn’t wrong to spread the pain around — in fact, I think it’s fair for states that aren’t on the border to absorb their share of undocumented immigrants — but it’s a deadly situation to drop these people from warmer climates into the middle of a bomb cyclone to fend for themselves without resources. That doesn’t punish the citizens of Chicago; it punishes vulnerable people, some of whom have legitimate asylum claims.

Does Texas have any control over when it receives illegal immigrants?

This logic is so flawed. Texas can't control their arrival, but they absolutely CAN control what they do with them. Chicago did not cause the problem.

Coordination and at a minimum notice is the correct, humane, and generally most effective thing to do.