Thread: Plane from Texas drops off over 300 migrants at Rockford airport, buses sent to Chica

Plane from Texas drops off over 300 migrants at Rockford airport, buses sent to Chicago: officials




Story by WLS • 36min

December 31, 2023



Several buses carrying over 300 migrants are expected to arrive in Chicago Sunday morning after a plane landed in Rockford overnight.

The migrants were flown from Texas to Illinois in a jumbo jet landing at Rockford International Airport, Rockford ABC affiliate WTVO reported.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The migrant crisis Chicago has been grappling with has once again made its way to the suburbs.

After the plane landed, the passengers were reportedly immediately bussed to Chicago's landing zone near Polke and Des Plaines.

The plane had a two-and-a-half hour delay at the San Antonio, Texas, airport before coming to Illinois. There were over 300 migrants onboard.

Since December, Texas has been sending planeloads and busloads of migrants to Chicago and other sanctuary cities across the country, as part of Greg Abbott's "Operation Lone Star." The asylum seekers crossed into the United States at the southern border.

The overnight plane transport comes after a bus carried 30 to 40 migrants to northwest suburban Woodstock this weekend.

So far, tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in Chicago this year after the city was declared a sanctuary city in 2021 by then Mayor Lori Lightfoot in response to former President Donald Trump's effort to build a wall along the Texas border.

Rockford is not a sanctuary city.

Winnebago County officials said there were alerted of plane carrying migrants was scheduled to land. Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara has issued a statement.

"Once the plane lands, those onboard will offload and immediately board buses to Chicago's 'landing zone."

Those on the plane will not exit the airport property at any time before boarding the buses," the statement read in part. "Sheriff's Deputies will then be escorting buses to I-90 to allow for safe passage."

In September, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker asked Illinois communities outside of Chicago to take in some of the migrants who continue to be sent here. To encourage this, he announced $41.5 million in grants to pay for shelter and housing supports, food, legal support and health care.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pl...de2a0baf&ei=51