Texas has begun airlifting migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago after the city took a tougher stance on the buses Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been sending people on since last year.
Abbott’s office said the first flight with 120 migrants on board arrived last week.
The governor has ordered state officials to send migrant buses to Democratic-led cities in April 2022.
However, the Chicago City Council voted to increase penalties for bus operators who do not drop off passengers at designated arrival points.
The governor’s multifaceted border security mission, dubbed Operation Lone Star, has displaced more than 80,000 migrants, including 23,000 in Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment about the flights.
