GOP questions Chicago funding violations, alleged ‘illegal immigrant magnet’ status
Senate Republicans from the Commerce Committee, spearheaded by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, are delving into the housing of illegal immigrants at two major Chicago airports. The inquiry questions whether the city is breaching funding requirements and criticizes Chicago as an alleged “illegal immigrant magnet” due to its sanctuary city policy.
The Republicans have formally written to Mayor Brandon Johnson, expressing concerns over the city’s initiative to shelter migrants at O’Hare International Airport since March and more recently at Midway International Airport. Last year, distressing images surfaced of hundreds of migrants camped out in a designated section of O’Hare, coinciding with the city grappling with a substantial influx of migrants since mid-2022.
The investigation highlights the GOP’s contention that repurposing airport facilities for housing illegal aliens not only diminishes taxpayers’ investment in the national airport system but also, specifically at O’Hare, violates the mandate that federally-funded airport facilities should remain accessible for public use.