ROCKFORD, Ill. (WLS) – Eight migrant buses were in route to Chicago Sunday morning after a plane from Texas carrying over 300 asylum seekers landed in Rockford overnight.
The migrants were flown from Texas to Illinois in a jumbo jet, landing at Rockford International Airport, Rockford ABC affiliate WTVO reported.
The migrant crisis Chicago has been grappling with has once again made its way to the suburbs.
After the plane landed, the passengers were reportedly immediately put on buses heading to Chicago’s landing zone near West Polk Street and South Desplaines Street.
The City of Chicago issued a statement Sunday afternoon, saying that city officials had been notified by Rockford of the plane’s arrival. Eight buses from Rockford have dropped off migrants in multiple suburbs on the way to Chicago, but they have not yet reached Chicago, city officials said.
I’ve been all over the US and pretty sure I’ve never been in or through Illinois with exception to flights. I think you’re greatly overestimating the size of Illinois and underestimating available options of US driving travel.
If you want to go around you’ll have to drive through Kentucky or through the Michigan UP Mackinaw bridge or through Canada. There’s a lot of freight that goes through Illinois as well as coming in/going out from ORD.
Tons of freight moves along i40 as well. It never approaches Illinois. You might be familiar with the traversal lanes up there, but there are several main thoroughfares south of there. 40, 20 and 10 all have tons of e/w traffic. All are south of Illinois. It’s not that hard to avoid one medium sized state.