Illinois Rep. Jonathan Jackson has called for a federal investigation into Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s program of busing migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border, saying it amounts to “human smuggling.”
The letter, addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, says the current situation is untenable, and that Abbott’s actions should be examined.
Jackson says that more than 55,000 migrants have been sent to six cities, with 19,000 having been sent to Chicago.
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“(This is a) man-made crisis manufactured by the illegal actions of Governor Abbott,” Jackson said.
Jackson accuses Abbott of committing federal offenses, including “alien smuggling, domestic transporting, harboring, and conspiracy/aiding or abetting,” along with violations of Texas state law. The Congressman also deemed the actions “illegal, xenophobic, inhumane and un-American.”
According to the latest city figures, 18,500 migrants have arrived in Chicago since Aug. 2022. Currently, 11,307 residents are in city-run shelters, with another 3,739 awaiting placement. A total of 433 buses have arrived in the city since last August, with three buses per day reported this week.
