Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated Wednesday night time that immigrants might be bussed from the Lonestar State to Chicago within the newest iteration of his controversial bussing program.

The primary busload of immigrants arrived at Chicago’s Union Station Wednesday night time because the Windy Metropolis turns into the third vacation spot metropolis for asylum-seeking immigrants who’re being bussed from Del Rio, Texas, Abbott’s workplace stated.

He has already despatched migrants to Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York Metropolis.

“To proceed offering much-needed aid to our small, overrun border cities, Chicago will be a part of fellow sanctuary cities Washington, D.C. and New York Metropolis as a further drop-off location,” stated Abbott.

“Mayor Lightfoot likes to tout the accountability of her metropolis to welcome all no matter authorized standing, and I stay up for seeing this accountability in motion as these migrants obtain assets from a sanctuary metropolis with the capability to serve them.” 

In April, Abbott began bussing immigrants from the border to Washington, D.C. Immigrants began arriving in New York Metropolis in June.

Abbott’s bus program, which makes use of each taxpayer cash and non-public donations, has racked up a price ticket of $12 million, or about $1,300 per immigrant bused to the east coast to date.

The immigrants who’re a part of Abbott’s program should not unlawful immigrants. They’ve cleared step one of looking for asylum and have been granted authorized permission to stay within the nation whereas the federal authorities decides in the event that they qualify for asylum or not.

The Submit traveled to the US-Mexico border to witness first-hand how asylum-seekers from nations like Venezuela and Cuba board the buses in Del Rio, Texas after being screened by federal immigration authorities.

The governor’s workplace has maintained that the bus program is voluntary and that immigrants can get off the bus anytime they need, nonetheless, immigrants aboard a Texas to Huge Apple bus referred to as 911 after they are saying they weren’t allowed to get off the bus in Tennessee.

The Submit obtained the 911 recording the place immigrants advised authorities they have been being “held in opposition to their will.”