Gov. Greg Abbott shipped over 85,000 illegal migrants from Texas in over one year drawing ire of Democrats as crisis turns from just remote border towns to America’s biggest cities

In less than a year and a half, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has transported 85,400 illegal migrants to so-called sanctuary cities run by Democrats unwilling to comply with federal immigration enforcement.

New York City has borne the brunt of Texas transferring the crisis to Democratic enclaves, with Abbott sending 32,200 people to the Big Apple as of August 2022, according to his office.

Chicago has seen the second-largest number of migrants sent from Texas, with 24,500 migrants arriving in the past year and four months.

Although deeply unpopular, especially among Democrats, Abbott's strategy of sending migrants to sanctuary cities is helping to turn the narrative and draw more attention to the crisis.

Meanwhile, illegal immigration is set to reach a record high, with border officials on track to process more than 300,000 migrants crossing the southern border in December alone.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has transported more than 85,000 migrants from his state to sanctuary cities like New York City, Chicago and Washington DC since August 2022

Democratic leaders in so-called sanctuary cities are now forced to confront the crisis that border communities have faced over the past fifty years — and are calling for more federal aid to ease tensions caused by increased migration to their cities. Pictured: Venezuelan migrants bused from Texas to New York refuse to leave Manhattan for a shelter in Brooklyn

It comes after other months in which images emerged showing – at times – thousands of migrants queuing after entering the country illegally.

Austin-based political communications firm partner Brendan Steinhauser said what many are calling a political stunt actually shifts the conversation from focusing on “very isolated parts” of southern border towns to major U.S. cities.

Steinhauser said: according to Simply News: 'It's a real problem now, it's not just an intellectual argument. It's on the street, and that's the difference.'

The former member of the Texas State Guard helped unload the first buses of migrants arriving from Texas in August 2022.

Since that time last year, 12,500 migrants have been transported to Washington DC – many dropped off in front of the vice president's home and 11,100 to Denver. And 3,400 arrived in Philadelphia and 1,250 in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the measure “evil” last August — and a month later the White House labeled it a “cruel, inhumane political stunt.”

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In Congress, Republicans are pushing for a massive immigration and border overhaul in exchange for sending more aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to defend against threats from Russia, Hamas and China, respectively.

Instead of that happening, Governor Abbott last month signed a law allowing his state law enforcement officers to arrest, detain and deport illegal immigrants without going through federal channels.

Democrats say it's cruel to hold aid hostage in exchange for what they say is inhumane immigration policies.

But Abbott and other border state leaders have accused Democrats of ignoring the impact of mass illegal immigration on their communities because they are majority Republican enclaves.

That's why Abbott worked with others to fly and bus migrants to Democratic cities.

Steinhauser said the Texas governor wanted to “bring these issues to those who downplayed the crisis.”

Texas Governor Abbott signed a law last month that allows law enforcement in his state to arrest, detain and deport illegal immigrants — bypassing federal policy and laws

Migrants are led from one bus to another after arriving in Chicago from Texas on September 9, 2022

Since then, Democratic leaders in cities including New York City, Chicago and Denver have called on the Biden administration to more directly address the illegal immigration issue in the U.S. and provide relief.

“It's very interesting to see the reactions of the sanctuary city mayors,” Steinhauser said. “Abbott is fed up with a humanitarian crisis in Texas communities. They admit this is a crisis. It changes the politics of those cities.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams said his city is at the breaking point.

“It's not just New York City, it's all these cities that are being affected from Brownsville, El Paso, Houston, Chicago, New York and Denver,” Adams said. “This is really an issue you see playing out on the streets of our cities.”

Meanwhile, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston called for more federal money to cover the costs of additional migrants.

“It will crush city budgets across the country,” Johnston said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Abbott's actions “inhumane and unconscionable.”

'But I want to make this very clear: the international crisis we are facing now is being subsidized by local economies. That is not sustainable.'