Texas begins flying migrants from US-Mexico border to Chicago, with 1st plane carrying 120 people

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas began flying migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago on Wednesday, a week after the city took a tougher stance on the buses that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been sending north since last year.

The first flight of 120 migrants arrived in the afternoon, according to Abbott’s office.

The governor directed state officials to begin busing migrants to Democratic-led cities starting in April 2022. Over 80,000 migrants have since been relocated through the effort as part of the governor’s multi-pronged border security mission, known as Operation Lone Star, including 23,000 to Chicago.

Chicago’s city council voted last week to toughen penalties on bus operators that don’t unload passengers at a designated arrival location or fill out city paperwork. The city has said operators began trying to drop people off in neighboring cities to avoid penalties including fines, towing or impoundment.

-snip-

Updated 6:02 PM EST, December 20, 2023


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/texas-chicago-migrant-flights-16f23893299bc880ce1c4afaa9b9656a

[Comfortably_Numb]

1. JFC I hate this state. Greg Abbott is a pathetic shell of a human being, devoid of character and humanity. I pray he

Eventually fucks all the way off.

[LudwigPastorius]

12. Are you kidding?

He'll probably get the Republican nomination for president in 2028.

[Comfortably_Numb]

13. That's what he thinks, but I don't know that the party of drumph that makes fun of disabled people are going to like

their candidate rolling around in a wheelchair. He’s pretty deluded, so who knows. And of course the last Texas governor to become President did such a bang up job that the whole country may collectively throw up at a second Texas yee-haw buffoon.

[bluestarone]

2. I think Abbott loves to piss off

Chicago? Wish someday he gets full payback!!

[Freethinker65]

3. Aren't planes/pilots required to file flight paths and get clearance for landings?

What is there to prevent Illinois from shipping homeless Americans with known issues down to Texas? (I am not suggesting it, just wondering)

[TwilightZone]

4. Why would Illinois do that?

Responding to ridiculous behavior that they abhor with similar behavior wouldn't make much sense.

As for flight plans, I doubt that they're making secret flights to Chicago without anyone knowing, if that's what you're asking. They're probably chartered, though I wouldn't put it past Abbott to put them on commercial flights, making it harder for everyone else to travel.

[Prairie Gates]

6. It was a private chartered flight through Signature Aviation

The migrants were guarded (!) by two security guards who left the scene before officials could respond.

[Freethinker65]

8. That is why I said I was just wondering, and not suggesting it.

One would think the planes could be met on the tarmac before deplaning, and non-citizens sent back.

I live in a suburb of Chicago and am fine with our state/county/city accepting our share of asylum seekers. Unfortunately, there are many fighting the temporary housing proposals and locations and we are receiving (unprocessed?) immigrants with little warning in winter.

While I personally abhor Abbott for this and other political stunts and regressive policies, I can understand TX not being able to support all that cross the border. Processing of asylum seekers needs to be faster and those entering with potentially valid cases should be dispersed to locations throughout the country until final hearings can be made. Instead of paying for planes, pay for more immigration processors and judges. And of course, helping to stabilize the countries those are fleeing from should not be ignored.

[Zincwarrior]

22. bus tickets to the next jurisdiction are a time honored tradition actually

Been done for a hundred years.

[Prairie Gates]

5. Wonderful...I'm glad Chicago's ordinance has forced Texas to transport people more safely

The conduct of the busses was outrageous. If the people of Texas want to pay a premium to fly people safely on a private jet, so be it.

Of course, the Chicago Department of Aviation should look closely at the processes that Texas has cooked up for these flights, and whether they need to be addressed, since their previous record was atrocious, and practices on safety of both migrants and Chicago residents and workers, including first responders, were so very dangerous and poorly organized. As I understand it, two "security guards" who were on this plane absconded via Uber from O'Hare before officials could arrive. Sounds like something that would bear looking at, more legislation, etc.

[dalton99a]

7. Kick

The plane landed at O’Hare International Airport at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday with migrants who crossed the southern border and are now in the country legally after requesting asylum from economic collapse and political instability. Johnson’s office originally told WTTW News 150 people were on the plane, but revised that figure Wednesday afternoon.

After the plane landed without warning to Chicago officials, airport officials called the Chicago Police Department, according to a report shared with WTTW News. The flight originated in El Paso, Texas, and records link the plane’s tail number to the Texas Division of Emergency Management, according to the police log of the incident.

Two people, identified as “handlers” in the police log, fled the plane and “jumped into an Uber” before they could be questioned by officers, according to police.

The migrants are now staying at O’Hare, officials said. In all, nearly 300 people are currently living at O’Hare.

https://news.wttw.com/2023/12/20/texas-flies-150-migrants-chicago-private-plane-more-buses-expected-police-mayor-s-office

[angrychair]

18. "fled in an Uber"

So is that all criminals need to do is "flee in an Uber" to get away? Just ridiculous.

[LiberalFighter]

25. I do hope something bad happens to those handlers.

[DBoon]

9. There are towns that have lost population and could use new blood

There are places with a need for workers that immigrants could fill.

Instead Abbott has decided owning the libs is more important and instead send people unannounced to large Democratic voting cities with existing minority populations ("Chicago" is synonymous with "Black" )

[CanonRay]

10. Chicago needs to seize that airplane

[Skittles]

11. HOW IS THIS LEGAL

WTF

[Marthe48]

14. Wouldn't it great if someone went to tx with a net

gathered all of the criminally insane who took over the government there? Really, all of the deranged people who someone got elected or appointed to leadership positions and are not only abusing people, but the power of the office they hold.

Anybody who keeps making laws that target a certain group, or a certain individual, or abridges a constitutional right, such as freedom to travel among the states, and keeps coming up with more and more outrageous actions that harm individuals and ignores basic human decency are insane. People like abbott are not wondering what would Jesus do? They are wondering if they can outdo Hannibal Lector.

How long do sane people watching this train wreck have to keep watching, and hope for a cavalry to come to the rescue of state governments under control of crazed psychotics posing as normal government entities?

[Rebl2]

15. Why not

just fly them back to South America. TX governor such a jerk.

[LearnedHand]

16. So all these abused people had passports

Which the US requires for foreign nationals flying in the US? Or wait? Did Abbott just PERSONALLY cause these people to violate federal law???

[Prairie Gates]

23. Good point...also something for the Chicago Department of Aviation to look into

Mayor Johnson should have Jamie Rhee on speed dial, figuring out if there are any procedural violations or safety concerns associated with these flights chartered by the state of Texas through Signature Aviation. Given Texas' horrible record of facilitating these transports through the bus companies, a close examination is required for the safety of the migrants and Chicago workers and residents, including first responders.

[William Gustafson]

17. How is this not human trafficking?

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

20. Because it doesn't fit the legal definition

The definition per Homeland Security:

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.

https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking

The fascists down in Texas aren't trying to obtain some type of labor, so it's not human trafficking.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

19. Tell the plane to turn around and go back

And tell them to put the return flight costs on the Texas tab.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

21. Another idea:

Require all flights from Texas to Illinois to submit passenger manifests, listing citizenship status. Deny landing in Illinois to any plane that doesn't submit such a manifest in advance.

[LiberalFighter]

24. How do those immigrants have proper ID?

[Orrex]

26. Why is this not kidnapping and human trafficking?

[AllaN01Bear]

27. too bad chicago cant empty its jails and send them to texas on those very planes.

[RainCaster]

28. They need to impound the plane

Just like they are doing with the busses. After a few of those expensive birds go missing, TX will have a hard time getting more chatter firms to do their dirty work.

[Prairie Gates]

33. Chicago is impounding busses that make unauthorized drop offs because of safety concerns

That's a tougher case to make in an airport terminal.

That said, because Texas has demonstrated absolute recklessness on its bussing program, the Chicago Department of Aviation, which runs O'Hare, should certainly look closely at the process and procedures used for these flights, and look very closely at the charter carrier, Signature Aviation, to determine whether they are attending to the safety of the migrant passengers and the residents, visitors, and workers of Chicago and surrounding areas. The fact that two security guards on this flight fled the scene before any officials could arrive does not bode well for or speak highly of Texas' organization of this flight.

I'd urge the Mayor and the head of the CDA to look very closely at what's going on here, and suggest corrective legislation if these flights are as unsafe as the Texas bussing program.

[kimbutgar]

29. The pilots should face consequences and the companies that own the planes should have them seized and sold to pay for

The care of these migrants.

[Prairie Gates]

32. Chicago and Illinois should certainly review any contracts with Signature Aviation

[The Contrarian]

30. I'm a little disgusted by some of these comments.

I’ve read that we should ship them back to Texas. Or ship them to South America. These are human beings. If Texas doesn’t want to take care of them, and they want to go to Chicago, then I’m confident Chicago and thr state of Illinois will take care of them.

[Hangingon]

31. I am concerned too

It is fine to have immigrants to enter Texas and the other border states as long as those states bear the burden of caring for them, but do not send them to sanctuary cities. That is hypocritical.
Border states didn’t ask for them.

[Prairie Gates]

34. Sanctuary City status has nothing to do with legal asylum seekers

[Hangingon]

38. That is how Abbott chooses recipient cities

So, it is a factor

[Prairie Gates]

39. That Abbott is a liar and a fraud is neither here nor there

Sanctuary city status has ZERO to do with legal asylum seekers. You brought it up, by the way.

[Ace Rothstein]

35. Chicago is broke and doesn't have the money to take care of them.

There are no shelters to house all of these people in a place with extremely dangerous winter weather.

[pecosbob]

36. What about TSA?

Boarding people without valid visas at any U.S. airport should be a violation of federal law.

[Swede]

37. Just impound any plane that does this.

nt