After being bussed from Texas, 147 immigrants arrived in Chicago on Wednesday, according to FOX 32. Sixty-four of those immigrants were then taken to a Hampton Inn hotel in Burr Ridge, which is outside of Chicago, where they will stay for at least the next 27 days. Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso, a Republican, told Fox News that immigrants are being used as “political pawns” by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker. “As I understand it, this hotel, about a year ago, when refugees came from Afghanistan, apparently received quite a few either through religious or charitable organizations, but now the state assumes that they can just send immigrants … this is not about them, the immigrants are fine, they’re being used as political pawns by the governor and the mayor,” Grasso said. ILLINOIS MAYOR ‘SAD’, SAYS CHICAGO DEPARTMENTS FAIL TO INFORM HIM OF IMMIGRANTS SENT TO CITY Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso (left) and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (right). FOX 32 and Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Grasso also said it’s hypocritical for Lightfoot to complain about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sending immigrants to Chicago, then turn around and “send [the migrants] out in the “suburbs. “We are very happy that people are finding freedom, it is hypocritical of the mayor of Chicago to complain about the governor of Texas – I agree with what he is doing – the city of Chicago says it will be a sanctuary city I oppose – but there must be empty hotel rooms in Chicago. This is hundreds of people in a city of millions. Why are they being sent to Republican suburbs? You have to ask yourself,” Grasso said. He said that just because this particular Hampton Inn was used in the past to house refugees from Afghanistan “doesn’t give the governor or the mayor carte blanche to send a busload or two of immigrants into our village without telling us.” CHICAGO MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT SLAMS TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT ‘MAN WITH NO MORALS’ AFTER SENDING BUSES OF MIGRANTS The story continues “The border situation on the southern border is a completely different situation than the Afghan refugees. It’s absolute arrogance for the state to assume that it can send immigrants to the suburbs around Chicago,” Grasso said. A spokesperson for the village of Burr Ridge told NBC5 that the migrants were initially at the Salvation Army Shield of Hope in Chicago and were then taken to the Hampton Inn. According to the report, a statement from the Illinois Department of Human Services says the immigrants are “accepting temporary shelter at urban and suburban hotels that have sheltered vulnerable families from Afghanistan and other parts of the world. We are grateful for the hospitality and care they have received from individuals and organizations throughout Illinois.” “We will continue to take action to ensure that everyone in Illinois has access to shelter, food, health care and other basic, essential supports,” the statement said. “We expect the State of Texas will continue to bus immigrants to Illinois, and we remain committed to helping welcome new arrivals in a responsible, orderly and compassionate manner.” Mayor Lori Lightfoot at City Council meeting on July 20, 2022/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the Republican Party of Texas convention at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. Getty Images Lightfoot has criticized Abbott several times and has said he lacks “any morality, humanity or shame”. “Let me say loud and clear to Greg Abbott and his aides in Texas with these continued political stunts, Governor Abbott has confirmed what unfortunately many of us already knew, that he is a man without morality, humanity or shame,” he said. Lightfoot said during a Sept. 1 press conference.
