Texas moves to chartering planes at great cost to get migrants to Chicago following the city’s crackdown on unscheduled bus arrivals
In response to heightened scrutiny from city officials in Chicago and neighboring areas regarding buses carrying recently arrived migrants from Texas, state authorities have shifted their approach. Last month saw the initiation of Texas chartering planes to transport migrants to Illinois.
Reports indicate that the Texas Emergency Management Station incurred a billing of over $370,000 for two flights in the previous month. These flights facilitated the arrival of more than 320 migrants to the Land of Lincoln.
Details reveal a payment of $135,000 to iAero Airways for a flight on December 19, bringing over 120 migrants from El Paso to O’Hare International Airport. Another flight from San Antonio to Rockford accounted for more than $235,000 in expenses, according to records obtained by the Houston television station.
The migration strategy, spearheaded by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, involves providing transportation for migrants to travel to self-declared sanctuary cities in other states. Since its initiation in the summer of 2022, approximately 31,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago.