Chicago's Mayor, Brandon Johnson, has issued a warning that the city could see an influx of migrants in the lead-up to the Democratic National Convention.
This comes despite previous estimates of over 20,000 migrants arriving in the city being significantly reduced. The mayor's administration is now anticipating the arrival of several hundred migrants, a figure confirmed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office.
"Until President Biden and Border Czar Harris step up and do their jobs to secure the border, Texas will continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities across the country like Chicago to provide much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border towns," Abbott's office stated, as reported by Fox News.
Andre Gordillo, the director of migrant assistance group New Vecinos Program, further clarified the situation, stating, "We realistically expect 750-1,000 new arrivals next week, if that." The majority of these migrants are being transported into Chicago by the Texas government, which is attempting to alleviate the economic and social pressures caused by the surge of illegal migration into its border towns.
Last month, Beatriz Ponce de Len, the Chicago deputy mayor for immigration, had warned that the city could receive as many as 25,000 migrants ahead of the convention. However, she has since revised this estimate. "We at this point do not have any credible intel that there will be a large surge in terms of buses coming from Texas," Ponce de Len told the Chicago Tribune.
The revised, significantly lower number of expected arrivals comes as a relief to city officials as they prepare to host the Democratic National Convention next week. The convention will see Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepting the Democratic Party's presidential and vice-presidential nominations.
The issue of illegal immigration remains a significant concern for U.S. voters nationwide. The situation in Chicago underscores the need for a comprehensive solution to this ongoing problem, particularly in light of the potential strain on resources and services in sanctuary cities like Chicago.
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