A Texas transportation company is taking the nation’s third largest city to federal court, ratcheting up a legal battle over the migrant crisis that’s left U.S. cities struggling

A Texas transportation company is taking the nation’s third largest city to federal court, ratcheting up a legal battle over the migrant crisis that’s left U.S. cities struggling for more than a year.

The lawsuit against Chicago comes amid a larger political battle involving federal immigration policy and arguments about the rights and treatment of asylum seekers.

Since 2022, Texas has sent more than 100,000 migrants to Democrat-led “sanctuary cities,” as it has handled surging numbers at the Mexico-U.S. border in recent years. The state has contracts with multiple bus companies to send asylum seekers north and recently began chartering planes.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he launched his busing operation to ease the burden on border cities, adding that the federal government needs to take action on immigration reform. He argues that migrants choose their destinations, get free tickets and the cities should live up to their promise of welcoming all.

But the influx has overwhelmed major U.S. cities, namely Chicago, New York and Denver, with mayors making their own pleas for federal help. They call Abbott’s approach inhumane with buses arriving at all hours and with no passenger lists or coordination, particularly for people who have already faced long, often dangerous, journeys to get to the U.S. Many migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have been arriving in the brutal cold without winter coats.

  • themeatbridge
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    1598 months ago

    Good, discovery is a two-way process. They are suing on behalf of the asylum seekers, so let’s see the documentation on passenger manifests and the communications passengers received about why they are getting on busses and what to expect when they get there. Let’s depose some bus drivers about when and where they are instructed to drop off people with nowhere to go and no food to eat.

    • @andrewta
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      8 months ago

      This is a good idea

      If the riders were lied to I think fraud charges might apply

      • themeatbridge
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        258 months ago

        If they were lied to and were on a bus for more than 24 hours, kidnapping charges apply.

        • @[email protected]
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          68 months ago

          Is that 24 hours thing something your read somewhere or are you assuming because of the Hollywood idea of waiting 24 hours to report someone missing?

          I ask because I don’t know. It seems silly if I can “kidnap” someone for 23 hours but because I returned them before 24 hours hit then charge don’t apply.

          • @[email protected]
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            148 months ago

            Lol, no he’s making that up. Kidnapping does not have a 24 hour requirement. A person doesn’t even need to be moved to be guilty of kidnaping: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.20.htm

            (2) “Abduct” means to restrain a person with intent to prevent his liberation by:

            (A) secreting or holding him in a place where he is not likely to be found; or

            (B) using or threatening to use deadly force.

            Sec. 20.03. KIDNAPPING. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly abducts another person.

        • @andrewta
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          28 months ago

          Really? Interesting. Would never have thought if that one.