City and state officials have been bracing themselves for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and perhaps other Republican leaders to send caravans of asylum seekers to Chicago to try to disrupt the Democratic National Convention here on Aug. 19-22.
We’re not discounting that possibility, as Abbott has made no secret of wanting to put the city in a bad light just as a bright media spotlight shines on Democrats gathering here. But it’s worth noting, as a recent WBEZ report pointed out, that no buses have arrived here in weeks. An aide in Mayor Brandon Johnson's office told us Wednesday that the last bus arrived in the Chicago area in mid-June.
There were only 35 migrants awaiting shelter at the city’s landing zone as of Tuesday, according to city data. Compare that to spring 2023, when the city was processing more than 2,000 migrants a week.
The decrease is tied to a temporary ban on asylum seekers at the southern border, part of an executive order President Joe Biden issued in early June to bring more order to the then-overwhelmed border. And it's helping border states like Texas — and by extension, Chicago.
Border crossings were already starting to fall before Biden’s order, and they hit a three-year low after the ban went into effect. The ban is triggered when 2,500 people a day cross illegally, on average, in a week. It could be lifted if numbers stay relatively low for a week. The numbers have been somewhat stable this summer, which means the ban soon could be lifted.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that arrests of migrants for illegally crossing the border from Mexico reached a new low in July for Biden's presidency. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told the AP that the monthly arrest total was expected to be about 57,000. In June, there were 83,536 arrests, a dip from May.
These numbers are way down from nearly 250,000 in December.
A calmer border means there are fewer migrants for Abbott to bus or fly to Chicago (and other liberal-leaning cities).
But Biden’s order is only a temporary fix. The American Civil Liberties Union and migrant advocacy groups are suing the Biden administration over his new policy. To our eyes, they seem to have a strong case. Federal law says people can seek asylum from pretty much anywhere in the U.S. Crossing the border legally isn't a requirement.
Permanent solutions have to come from Congress, which is paralyzed on immigration amid culture wars. Last winter, Republicans walked away from a Senate deal to reduce border crossings after getting much of what they wanted in negotiations with Democrats. Former President Trump, who uses immigration as a campaign issue and rails against immigrants as lawbreakers — despite research showing immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans — urged them to nix it.
That left Biden to act on his own. He drew up a template that’s far from perfect, to address an issue that is a top concern for many Americans.
Our country needs an overhaul of our antiquated immigration system that would create more paths for people to immigrate legally and prevent chaos at the southern border. Again, that's up to Congress.
Meanwhile, there’s no denying that Biden’s plan is getting results. For cash-strapped Chicago, that's good news.
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