(USNewsMag.com) – Another Democratic governor spoke out this week against President Joe Biden’s border policies, joining a growing number in the president’s own party who are beginning to criticize his administration’s handling of the migrant crisis.
On Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent Biden a letter with a list of demands outlining the failure of the federal government to deal with the border crisis. One of the complaints made by Pritzker is that border states have been shipping migrants to Illinois “like cargo” and in an “attempt to score political points.” The governor called the practice “dehumanizing” and said over 15,000 have been shipped to his state.
Republicans have little sympathy for Pritzker and other Democrats who declared their states and major cities “sanctuaries” for migrants seeking asylum. Now the Illinois governor is saying the new arrivals are “overwhelming” the state’s “ability to provide aid” to all of the refugees. He said “the welcome and aid” provided by the state “has not been matched with support” from the Biden administration. He said the lack of federal government intervention and coordinated response at the border is leading to a situation that is “untenable” for Illinois.
Pritzker joins other Democratic leaders in sounding the alarm. In August, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey deployed the National Guard to help with the influx of migrants, declaring a state of emergency. Last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded once more with the federal government to send more aid for the Big Apple, which he said would be destroyed if something more wasn’t done.
Prior to sending the letter, the Illinois governor and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke with Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff, and Tom Perez, a senior adviser, along with other officials. They warned Biden that up to 25 buses a day are expected to arrive in Chicago from Texas and that as many as 1,250 migrants will still be arriving daily.
In his letter, Pritzker said more “must be done on a federal level” to deal with what he described as “a national humanitarian crisis” that state and local governments are shouldering “without support” from the White House.
Copyright 2023, USNewsMag.com
