Texas Pays $370,000 For 2 Flights To Send Migrants To Illinois: Report

CHICAGO — After city officials in Chicago and surrounding towns began cracking down on buses of recently arrived migrants sent from Texas, state officials last month began chartering planes to fly migrants to Illinois.

The Texas Emergency Management Station was billed more than $370,000 for two flights last month, bringing more than 320 migrants to the Land of Lincoln, KTRK-TV reported.

The state paid $135,000 to iAero Airways for a flight on Dec. 19 that brought more than 120 migrants from El Paso to O'Hare International Airport. And Texas state officials were billed more than $235,000 for another flight from San Antonio to Rockford, according to records obtained by the Houston television station.

Since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched his policy of providing transportation for migrants to travel to self-declared sanctuary cities in other states in the summer of 2022, about 31,000 have arrived in Chicago.

A spokesperson for Abbott said last month his state will continue its "historic action" — dubbed Operation Lone Star — and blamed President Joe Biden.

"Because [Chicago] Mayor [Brandon] Johnson is failing to live up to his city's ‘Welcoming City’ ordinance by targeting migrant buses from Texas, we are expanding our operation to include flights to Chicago, like the Biden Administration has been doing across the country," said Andrew Mahaleris.

The Republican governor has also sent migrants to Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles — all cities with leaders from the Democratic Party.

According the his office, migrants sign a consent waiver and voluntarily accept the state's transportation.

Earlier this month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent a letter to Abbott pleading for him to stop sending newly arrived migrants his state during recent subzero temperatures and dangerous wind-chills.

“You seem to have no interest in working on bipartisan solutions to the border crisis because that would put an end to your cruel political game," Pritzker said, "but I am writing to you to appeal to your humanity."