73 Comments - Roadrager - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:10 am: This is an actual question I have: Why is the federal government just allowing Texas and Florida to do this thing which, we have been told frequently, is being done to vulnerable, desperate people under false pretenses? Is it a case of “Well, it’s bad, but technically not illegal,” or is it “Well, it’s illegal, but enforcing this law sounds like a lot of work and a chance to catch some bad press.” - Ucha - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:18 am: Hoisted on his own rhetorical petard, hate to see it. - Socially DIstant watcher - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:22 am: Why is the criticism focused on the executive branch? Why aren’t we calling on Congress to provide funding and to revise immigration laws? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:26 am: See y’all in church, I suppose. The goal of the exercise, since the Feds are in this quandary, is to process the immigrants, get them prepared for movement and actually coordinate with places like Chicago… while the Feds pay for this all. The same “Christians” they say “voter ID is essential for our democracy” seem to also be saying the idea of processing and getting information is “too much” and these human beings need to be “shipped” to own the Libs. Truly disgusting. This needs to be done better. Multiple governors should be working together to expedite and aid while under federal guidelines, paid with federal monies. - Montrose - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:28 am: “Why is the criticism focused on the executive branch? Why aren’t we calling on Congress to provide funding and to revise immigration laws?” Congress should do those things, but the reality is that it won’t with the current make-up. The only place to get the action and resources needed quickly is through the White House. - pc - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:28 am: would the federal government permit Texas to launch a DDOS (distributed denial of service) attack against all of Illinois’ IT structure? At this point it seems the answer is yes. States have numerous ways to undermine the stability of other States — the federal government exists to prevent this. If it’s not going to step in (and Illinois continues not to respond) Texas will certainly escalate its efforts to strain our resources. We might need to start thinking about what that escalation will look like. - TNR - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:28 am: To a certain extent I don’t blame Texas. Yes, this is first and foremost about Abbott “owning the libs” and he doesn’t care about any of the human costs, but it is the federal government’s problem and they’re doing very little about. The fact that states, municipalities and NGO’s just ship migrants wherever the heck they want without any coordination by the feds is insane. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:29 am: ===Why aren’t we calling on Congress to=== Might as well be calling for a Beatles reunion tour. - Gravitas - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:31 am: “Might as well be calling for a Beatles reunion tour.” Spit take funny line! Well played! - Ucha - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:34 am: If thousands of people who need to be cared for cross the border every day and and a small minority of them are not transported to Chicago or New York, does it make a sound? - TNR - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:34 am: ===Why aren’t we calling on Congress to=== Congress is worthless — they are why our immigration system is so screwed up to begin with. But the Biden administration has control of a massive government bureaucracy. It’s hard to see any evidence that they are using it effectively right now. - We've never had one before - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:35 am: What about Texas? If poor Illinois is being overwhelmed, what about Texas? Consider that maybe we should actually close the border. - Suburban Mom - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:37 am: ===Consider that maybe we should actually close the border=== What, in your mind, does this entail? - low level - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:39 am: There’s just no question about it: the Biden administration needs a better strategy. Im not sure what that looks like at this point but what we are currently doing isnt working. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:39 am: ===what about Texas?=== Why won’t Texas coordinate, purposely, with other states, AND decide to have a summit with AZ, NM, CA, and IL and in a bipartisan way put pressure on the Feds to coordinate? Why do you think Abbott won’t do that? Abbott could make the Dem governors look bad if they don’t participate or coordinate, actually making them put up and contribute? Why aren’t you asking that question? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:41 am: ===Consider that maybe we should actually close the border.=== In context, explain the function of Ellis Island, and the large swaths of Texas land available? Here’s a hint, you won’t find that on FoxNews or Newsmax, it might make you have research AND think. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:43 am: Biden is managing this issue like Matt Eberflus manages the Bears. Weak, indecisive and not fully transparent. - Merica - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:44 am: Keep in mind that the United States continues to grow, and quality of life increases, this is in contrast to much of the world where the opposite is true. We enjoy a functioning government and economy. many people do not and that makes us a target for immigration. 100m people in Afghanistan, Libya, Lebanon, Ukraine, Syria, would give all of their money to come here. The pressure will only increase as time goes on. Our concept of asylum will not function as-is, unless you want to cause incredible domestic political and economic strife - H-W - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:45 am: What about the bus owners who are transporting people to Illinois? Are they culpable? - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:53 am: === Are they culpable? === Why would they be culpable? They are just providing a service that they are getting paid to do. - frustrated GOP - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:53 am: We (I) might have a big problem with what the Florida and Texas governors are doing about bussing migrants. But, from the standpoint of making this a national issue, in need of resolution, instead of a border-state problem, they have succeeded. It’s one thing to be a sanctuary city a thousand miles from the border, never getting more than a handful of people to house, it’s another when people’s liberalism is truly tested by the reality of hundreds coming at a time. Remember, these are the people who have a claim to refuge, they aren’t illegals crossing the border to work off the books, and who take very few services, for fear of being shipped back. And the response is the Federal government is not doing enough. Same issue border states have complained about for decades. It’s amazing it took so long for someone to come up with this idea. In the end, we owe these people a chance, and we owe our country a meaningful debate on what we believe and what we are going to do “nationwide” to meet this need. I would also add, what we are going to do to help stabilize the countries these people are coming from. It’s never good to empty other countries of the able and willing working people. We need Central American countries to be strong independent democratic and economically viable countries on their own. only then are they stable and not lawless cartel-run beds of unrest and destabilization. Our unemployment rate is below 4%, once considered full employment, please someone help get these people jobs assist them in learning English, and welcome them to the the US. They took huge risks to come and raise a family. I am guessing they are here to work and to make a new life, just like all of our ancestors. - RNUG - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:56 am: == Why is the federal government just allowing Texas and Florida to do this thing which, we have been told frequently, is being done to vulnerable, desperate people under false pretenses? == According to the stories I have read, the migrants are asked if they want to go to Chicago and are voluntarily agreeing. If that is the case, nothing illegal there. Are the migrants being misled about prospects in Chicago? Don’t know what they are being told. - supplied_demand - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:56 am: ==Chicago is a sanctuary city == It sure is. This point still has nothing to do with another state shipping humans (who are not illegal immigrants, but asylum seekers) without coordinating at all. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:57 am: ===what about Texas?=== What OW said. Every single word. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:59 am: ===without coordinating at all=== Yep. - Socially DIstant watcher - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 9:59 am: ==Beatles reunion tour== Ma CA still tours, as does Ringo. The survivors do what they can. Congress won’t get better until we hold them accountable for their dysfunction. If they don’t raise and appropriate money, the president can’t send it. We can use this to define the problem in ways that recognize all of the faults, not just the ones that Republican governors want to highlight - supplied_demand - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:02 am: ==Why would they be culpable? They are just providing a service that they are getting paid to do. == If I pay you to rob a bank, are you not culpable for robbery? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:03 am: ===until we hold them accountable for their dysfunction=== lol They’ve been dysfunctional for most of American history, except for brief periods including (but not exclusively) the Civil War, FDR and LBJ. It’s fine to toss out words like “accountability,” and I’d love to hear your ideas. Until then, expecting anything is laughable and you sure as heck cannot make plans based on a pipe dream. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:05 am: ==Consider that maybe we should actually close the border.== That is a solution of a simple mind who does not understand the core of the problem. It’s nothing but a political talking point. - H-W - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:08 am: @ Hannibal Lecter In some cases, people have become ill during the transport. A couple have actually died. In many cases, it is not clear that the people being transported fully understand what is going on. In these ways, the similarity to human trafficking could be invoked. In addition, if asylum seekers and refugees are being transported with out the express permission of the federal government, it would seem the companies transporting documented (and undocumented?) workers would be involved in abetting the removal of documented workers from the supervision of the federal government. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:10 am: === If I pay you to rob a bank, are you not culpable for robbery? === Yes, but last I looked, driving a bus full of passengers is not a crime. Pretty strange analogy. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:14 am: ===but last I looked=== First, people, wrongly want to say these human beings are “illegals”, and complain about “how they got here” Then, transportation here, that’s fine shuffling “illegals” if the bus is paid for? “Pretty strange” way to reconcile these ideas that are only designed to hurt, be it places or people, and not part of a greater good solution. (Thanks, Rich.) - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:18 am: Willy, was your last comment directed at me? I am not sure I understand it. All I was saying is that I don’t think the bus company has any culpability simply because they are providing the service that they were hired to perform (and that service is not generally illegal). The blame fully lies with the governmental actors - Texas for their way of handling the situation and the federal government for not acting at all. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:23 am: === In these ways, the similarity to human trafficking could be invoked. In addition, if asylum seekers and refugees are being transported with out the express permission of the federal government, it would seem the companies transporting documented (and undocumented?) workers would be involved in abetting the removal of documented workers from the supervision of the federal government. === No way I agree with that line of thinking. Here’s an alternative action the federal government can take - do your stinkin jobs! Their inaction is the reason why this is happening. To prosecute the bus company, its owners or employees for this is absolutely absurd. - Almost the Weekend - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:24 am: This falls on federal government for letting Texas do this. Take away federal funding and give it to Chicago. This is ridiculous - supplied_demand - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:26 am: ==Yes, but last I looked, driving a bus full of passengers is not a crime. Pretty strange analogy. == You have moved the goalposts. Your original comment was “They are just providing a service that they are getting paid to do.” I clarified that getting paid to do something illegal is still illegal. If it’s not illegal then you should have just said that rather than focusing on the act of getting paid to do it. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:26 am: ===bus company has any culpability simply because they are providing the service that they were hired to perform=== Aiding “illegals” moving in the US? The quibbling to what a bus company does, doesn’t do, illegal transport, legally assisting migrants to locations. If the quibbling is about the bus company, then we’ll never get to what needs to be done, a coordinated solution in assisting human beings in a way that is also helpful to the United States. Frankly, coordination to assist those processed migrants to other locations is a goal. The discussion to the how without realizing the odd “why” is missing the point to any bus discussion. With respect. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:29 am: ===Take away federal funding=== lol Yeah. That’ll help. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:31 am: === Aiding “illegals” moving in the US? === I never said anything about these folks being “illegals”. Do you think that I said that? - Strange Days - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:32 am: When seeing this I always wonder what the conditions and treatment are on the Mexican side of the border. It is a humanitarian crisis that needs resources to deal with it. The only true solution is to improve conditions in their home countries and Americans don’t have the stomach to pay for change nor the stomach for military intervention in certain countries. - Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:33 am: Texas is weaponizing human trafficking. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:34 am: === You have moved the goalposts. Your original comment was “They are just providing a service that they are getting paid to do.” === Some of yall are so petty. Fine. Edit my comment to say that the bus company is not doing anything illegal. I don’t care to argue about this bus culpability topic anymore. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:35 am: ===improve conditions in their home countries and Americans don’t have the stomach to pay for change nor the stomach for military intervention in certain countries.=== Yep. It’s in the interest of the United States to have stable democracies in Central and South America. Immigration is one big reason. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:39 am: Just so everyone is aware, human trafficking is defined by the Justice Department as a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. https://www.justice.gov/humantrafficking/what-is-human-trafficking Just throwing that out there for those that are likening this situation to human trafficking. - Wow - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:48 am: Rich is deleting comments by people correctly pointing out no one is being “tricked” onto buses. They want to come to sanctuary places like Chicago and NYC. They are grateful for free transportation from Texas. He wants his readers to believe the now disproven, false narrative of migrants being coerced onto buses. - SWSider - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:50 am: Not sure why it took so long for JBP to go on the offensive against Biden to try and get us some help. You’d think he’d leverage the national profile he’s building for himself to help the state, but… - allknowingmasterofraccoondom - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:50 am: OW, with respect - “Why won’t Texas coordinate, purposely, with other states, AND decide to have a summit with AZ, NM, CA, and IL and in a bipartisan way put pressure on the Feds to coordinate?” Texas has been asking for help with this for decades. While I think the stunt part is disgusting, I hope this stunt wakes everyone up to the human crisis going on at the border. It is a disaster here in Chicago. Hoping this is the event that turns the tide for immigration in our country. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:51 am: ===Rich is deleting comments by people correctly pointing out no one is being “tricked” onto buses=== Unless you’re part of an organized effort, all you would know is your own comments. One of yours was automatically held because you’ve posted some really odd stuff here in the past. And then again with that one. Bye. - DuPage - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:52 am: What about the Walmart stores that recently closed? Those stores could be rented to the city, state, or federal government, to quickly provide shelter for the hundreds of busloads that will arrive in the next few months. That will require a large amount of money, quickly. Also, if empty Catholic schools have been offered as shelters for free, the city should take them up on it. Mayor Johnson should put aside his dislike of the Catholic schools and take them up on their offer to help. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 10:55 am: ===I hope this stunt=== Don’t look now, but you’re tattling on yourself. In these decades, and with these self described stunts, has Abbott asked other states (I forgot NY, that’s on me) to meet to put pressure on the Feds? Did I miss that? Stunts. - Tom - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:02 am: NYC officials are at the Southern border with flyers telling refugees there is no guarantee they will receive shelter or services. “Housing in NYC is very expensive,” the fliers said. “Please consider another city as you make your decision about where to settle in the U.S.” According to the NY Times, Gov. Greg Abbott has sent thousands in a campaign to provoke outrage and force the federal government to tighten border security. But Mr. Abbott’s buses account for only a small fraction of the people who have arrived; El Paso, a Democrat-led city, has also sent new arrivals to New York at the migrants’ request, officials there have said, and some people have made their own way. Not sure if the same applies to Chicago. But like OW says, do a little research. - Steve - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:19 am: Immigration is a federal problem. The states can’t be expected to lead and direct where migrants (who are here legally applying for asylum) live. No border state or non-border state can be expected to be a dumping ground for human beings without resources. Small and large changes in immigration law are necessary. Beginning with applying for asylum outside the U.S. borders. There are limits to housing resources in short time frames. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:24 am: ===Greg Abbott has sent thousands in a campaign to provoke outrage=== Stunts are not Solutions. Spending campaign monies to have a summit with NY, IL, CA, NM, and AZ is deciding that stunts aren’t the answer. ===Just throwing that out=== Dunno where that was in question… - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:26 am: === Dunno where that was in question… === There were several posts that referenced how this is akin to human trafficking. - northsider (the original) - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:28 am: There’s 300 acres in Arlington Heights with on-site transportation & plenty of infrastructure to hook into. A landowner that’s reportedly looking for a deal from the state. It’s a pity they tore down the dorms already, but with water, electric, cable & sewer already in place it wouldn’t take long to build out some temporary housing. - allknowingmasterofraccoondom - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:34 am: OW - In these decades, and with these self described stunts, has Abbott asked other states (I forgot NY, that’s on me) to meet to put pressure on the Feds? Did I miss that? First off, I said Texas, not Abbot. So yes, I think you did miss it. Texas has been screaming about the difficulties of dealing with the mass migration for decades. Politicians make it political. And I have no clue what you mean when you say you are “Tattling on yourself”. OW speak, I guess. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:36 am: ===akin to=== This quibbling to one side feeling a need to have stunts, moving migrants in an uncoordinated and sporadic way… to discussions of how to best resolve a federal issue outside stunts and in the best interests of all, including the migrants… Focus is lost in this overall - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 11:45 am: ===I said Texas, not Abbot. So yes, I think you did miss it. Texas has been screaming about the difficulties of dealing with the mass migration for decades. Politicians make it political.=== Friend… we had a President (and VP in Cheney, but that’s a whole ‘nother thing) from Texas. A Republican. From Texas. Maybe realizing these stunts “now” aren’t about Texas but about Abbott owning Libs. ===And I have no clue=== That’s likely true since you already cited “stunt” but missing the point about the want should be about policy. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 12:01 pm: Willy, A friendly word of advice. Take a class on how to improve your writing skills. It is very hard to decipher some of the things you are talking about. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 12:16 pm: ===Take a class on how to improve your writing skills.=== Everyone’s a critic. You may not be my audience, and if you’re gaslighting me because you don’t like what wrote, come up with better points to defend? All friendly. :) - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 12:26 pm: Not gaslighting. Just think you can write more clearly so that we can understand what you are talking about. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 12:30 pm: ===Just think you can write more clearly so that we can understand what you are talking about.=== I’ll take that under advisement. You’d be surprised, I get writing notes all the time. In this particular instance, I’m fine with things… but i will look to try as always to be better. - Jibba - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 1:04 pm: Clearly these people need to be shipped across the country to spread out the burden. However, Governor Abbott shows us that, by shipping folks to only blue states, he can be mean spirited even while doing the right thing. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 1:05 pm: ===Governor Abbott shows us that, by shipping folks to only blue states, he can be mean spirited even while doing the right thing.=== Or shouldn’t this be a thing the Feds do in coordination with other states? - Jibba - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 1:10 pm: Indeed, it is a failure that the feds need to address, although I’m not entirely sure Abbott would cooperate even it made his life a lot easier, since he is clearly getting his jollies over it. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 1:12 pm: =Texas has been asking for help with this for decades. While I think the stunt part is disgusting, I hope this stunt wakes everyone up to the human crisis going on at the border.= Illionois has a gun violence issue that has been a problem for decades as well. A recent story reported that most of the guns recovered from gun violence in Chicago were from out of state, Indiana in particular. Since we have received little help from the federal government, especially lately, would it be ok to ship those perpetrators and their guns to INdiana or Texas? They certainly have not been helping with the issue. I am asking the Texas apologists. - Lurker - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 1:54 pm: I’m not sure how but I hope the end result becomes so much pressure on the Feds from all sides that the asylum seekers are treated more humanely and that a long-term solution is determined. - supplied_demand - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 2:08 pm: ==Take a class on how to improve your writing skills. == From the same person who calls others “petty.” - illinifan - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 2:17 pm: The whole issue is so complex. From working to try to stop this mass migration, to making it a 50 state problem to deal with (vs red and blue state against each other), to reforming immigration/asylee process which allows people to be here legally even on a temporary basis, to funding this immediate problem rather than shifting it to the states and localities. I wish I had the answer. That said we do know what the problem is and standing in a circle pointing to each other saying you caused it does not solve the problem. Biden needs to step up and honor Pritzkers request to get a person in place who will actually coordinate agencies and dig into budgets to move funding to where it is needed. (Unfortunately Harris does not seem to have embraced the job). If this does not occur, Pritzker should appoint someone who could coordinate with other states and find a way for those states to begin to try and work together. A creative group could dig into Federal funding and find a way to repurpose funds. - Hannibal Lecter - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 2:42 pm: === From the same person who calls others “petty.” === Apparently you don’t have the same trouble understanding his writing that I do. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 3:21 pm: - supplied_demand - I appreciate you. I’ve moved on, it’s fine. Criticism and salt. To the post, If I were the governors of CA, NY, and IL, I’d wonder aloud, the three of ya, to when Abbott would like to meet to discuss these moves and busings and point out if the governor of Texas is about the stunt or the necessary within a cooperative. Then use that to leverage, with great torque, to get the Feds involved. Try reverse engineering? - Jerry - Tuesday, Oct 3, 23 @ 3:43 pm: I agree with JS. Send the gun folks and perps to Texas by the bus load. - Odysseus - Wednesday, Oct 4, 23 @ 4:08 am: “Yep. It’s in the interest of the United States to have stable democracies in Central and South America. Immigration is one big reason.” Exactly. So why has US policy for decades if not centuries been to work against stable democracies in Central and South America? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.