Another Plane of Migrants Arrives in Chicago Area as Mayor Brandon Johnson Continues Call For Federal Help
1st January 2024
Hours after a plane from Texas carrying 355 migrants arrived early Sunday morning in Rockford, Mayor Brandon Johnson repeated his plea for more federal support to address the ongoing migrant crisis.
The plane landed about 1 a.m. at Chicago Rockford International Airport, then the migrants onboard were immediately put on buses headed for Chicago, escorted by Winnebago County sheriff’s deputies, the city of Rockford said on Facebook.
They were taken to Chicago’s “landing zone,” a Facebook post said, but Rockford officials did not share an exact address. A city spokesperson declined to answer specific questions about the flight, including who chartered it and where in Texas it originated.
In a statement, the city of Chicago said a private Boeing 777 from San Antonio, coordinated by Eastern Airlines, landed in Rockford carrying 350 people seeking asylum.
After landing, the passengers were put on eight buses chartered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, according to a city of Chicago spokesperson. The buses dropped the migrants in the surrounding suburbs, and they are now making their way to Chicago via trains and other means, the spokesperson said.
Rockford and Winnebago County officials learned Saturday the plane was headed to the city. The Facebook post said the plane was landing in Rockford because of Chicago’s new ordinance cracking down on buses bringing migrants to the city.
Gotta love Greg Abbott.