Immigration

‘An Absolutely Absurd Assertion’: Fox News Panel Lights Up Lightfoot For Calling Migrant Busses ‘Racist’

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A Fox News panel lit into Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago Thursday afternoon for calling Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas “racist” for sending busses of migrants to the Windy City.

“These people do it voluntarily, they sign up for it, they get on a bus. The federal government has been sending them out on airplanes, so why isn’t that racist?” former Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah said. “Far more people have gone on airplanes to New York and other places. I think it’s an absolutely absurd assertion and if you want to solve the problem they’d go down to the southern border and see it for yourself and fix it.”

“Gov. Abbott has said enough is enough. But this is not just his problem, it’s already cost him $12 million to send these migrants on these buses,” Fox Business host Cheryl Casone said. “It’s not like he’s just doing it because he is a racist or he’s doing it out of spite. He’s putting his money where his mouth is for the taxpayers of Texas because Texas has had it. They are overrun.”

WATCH:

Other hosts called out Lightfoot for accusing Abbott of racism in a statement released by Ryan Johnson, her deputy director of communications.

NEWS: Today, the City of Chicago received confirmation that approximately 60 migrants were traveling to Chicago by way of Texas. Chicago is a welcoming city and as such has collaborated across various departments and agencies to ensure we greeted them with dignity and respect. pic.twitter.com/wJWEDtXLgZ

— Ryan Johnson (@Ryan_Johnson) September 1, 2022

“Obviously they are concerned because it’s the easiest cop-out when you disagree with something to call someone a racist,” Dr. Nicole Saphier said. “You say it with such conviction like that it’s a fact even though it is not true at all. Unfortunately, you have Democrats who just completely weaponized the term racism. They are diluting the severity of what it actually is.”

Migrants interviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation have stated on multiple occasions they were not tricked into taking busses from Texas to Washington, D.C., but took the busses voluntarily.

“When you talk about taking migrants to these other cities, that is basic logistics because these border towns, they do not have the infrastructure to support a rapid influx of people,” Saphier said. “Why shouldn’t these Democratic cities who say they’re sanctuary cities and say they welcome migrants, why shouldn’t they help bear the burden? This is not racism, this is basic economics.”

Racism, discrimination & human cruelty have played a pivotal role in how immigrants are received at our borders. @GovAbbott is without shame or humility.

Chicago has been a sanctuary for thousands of newcomers, and we will not turn our backs on those who need our help the most.

— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) September 1, 2022

Lightfoot did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF, but tweeted an attack on Abbott Thursday, accusing him of “racism, disinformation and human cruelty.”