Chicago City Wire

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is congratulating Chicago voters for denying Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot a second term in office.

“Congratulations Chicago!” Abbott said on Twitter.

Lightfoot lost in the Feb. 28 election, placing third.

Former CPS CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County commissioner for the 1st District Brandon Johnson will face off in the April 4 runoff.

Vallas notched 34% of the vote, Johnson had 20% and Lighfoot had 17%.

Other competitors in the race included U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (R-IL), businessman Willie Wilson, 26th District State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), Obama-backed 4th Ward Alderman Sophia King, 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer and BLM-protestor Ja’Mal Green.

Abbott and Lightfoot have butted heads over Chicago’s “sanctuary city” status.

Noting Chicago is a sanctuary city that won't treat illegal immigrants differently based on their status, Abbott started bussing thousands of illegal immigrants to the city last year.

He claimed that Chicago is the perfect place for persons breaking the law to enter the country.

“To continue providing much-needed relief to our small, overrun border towns, Chicago will join fellow sanctuary cities Washington, D.C. and New York City as an additional drop-off location. Mayor Lightfoot loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status, and I look forward to seeing this responsibility in action as these migrants receive resources from a sanctuary city with the capacity to serve them,” Abbott said in a 2022 press release.

Abbott emphasized his the campaign to send illegal immigrants to Chicago and elsewhere was a response to President Joe Biden's position on "open borders” policy which has led to a significant influx of illegal immigrants crossing because of lax federal enforcement.

Abbott has also been sending busloads of illegal immigrants from Texas to other sanctuary cities, such as New York City and Washington, D.C.

Lightfoot was condemned for saying the illegal immigrants were welcome in the city, but then shuttling them off to suburban locations.

Elk Grove Mayor Craig Johnson called out Lightfoot for sending illegal immigrants to their village unannounced on city buses.

“I was quite upset with the mayor because it was city busses, Chicago busses,” Johnson said.

“They did not come from Texas. Like (Lightfoot) originally said, if you're upset go to Gov. Abbott. Gov. Abbott has no clue where Elk Grove Village is. He has no clue it exists.”

Johnson said Chicago had plenty of room for the illegal immigrants but decided to send them elsewhere.

“Then I was told, because I did ask very bluntly, I said, folks, you have a city of 3 million people, third largest city in the country, world destination. More hotels on one block than Elk Grove has in its entire community. Why aren't they staying there? True story I was told. Well, they have a marathon coming up. They have no room in the inn,” he said.

Those settling within Chicago have also elicited negative responses from community members such as those living in the area surrounding the Wadsworth Elementary School site on Chicago’s Southside.

The school was targeted to be refurbished to hold some of the some 4,000 illegal immigrants Abbott has bused to the city.

“We are unnecessarily causing tension and friction between African Americans and Latinos,” Ald. Ray Lopez told the Chicago Tribune.

“It was painful to watch … to see the amount of pain caused to Woodlawn and the amount of ignorance that it’s creating. … Democratic cities are absolutely helping prove the point that many of the big cities that say they are welcoming are welcoming in name only, as long as no one shows up.”