In a growing response to attempts to bypass restrictions on migrant buses in major cities, suburban areas near Chicago and New York are giving arriving migrants a chilly reception.
The mayor of Edison, New Jersey, even went so far as to warn of sending people back to the border if they arrived in buses, signaling a new front in the ongoing debate over migrant arrivals.
Edison Mayor’s Warning Adds New Dimension to Migrant Arrival Debate
Nervous officials in outlying cities and suburbs are taking action against migrants, spurred by the efforts of Texas Governor Greg Abbott to fund the departure of migrants from his state.
Signs along Interstate 55 in Grundy County, Illinois, declared, “NO MIGRANT BUSES THIS EXIT,” as authorities in various locations respond to the unprecedented influx of migrants from the southern border.
Governor Abbott has been proactive in busing over 80,000 migrants from Texas to Democratic-led cities since 2022, expanding the initiative to include chartering planes as Chicago and New York tighten restrictions on unscheduled bus drop-offs.
Recently, a flight carrying 355 migrants from San Antonio landed in Chicago Rockford International Airport, prompting local officials to state that none left the airport before boarding buses chartered by Abbott. The city of Chicago reported that the migrants were dropped off in “various suburbs.”
Chicago Suburbs Respond
In response to these developments, some Chicago suburbs are adopting or considering regulations on buses. Tinley Park’s ordinance threatens measures against buses making unannounced stops, while Broadview stated concerns about unloading passengers in severe weather conditions.
Similarly, in New Jersey, migrants are being dropped off at train stations, and Governor Phil Murphy’s office notes that the state is primarily a transit point for migrants headed to New York.
Mayors in these areas, particularly those in the suburbs, have expressed concerns about their capacity to support arriving migrants, emphasizing the need for coordinated plans to address the challenges posed by the arrivals.
The ongoing debate highlights the complexity of addressing the surge in migrant arrivals, with various jurisdictions responding differently to the influx.
As suburban areas grapple with the challenges, the larger issue of immigration policies and their enforcement remains a contentious topic in the United States.
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