ROCKFORD – The city of Rockford is fielding questions after announcing that a plane filled with hundreds of migrants landed early Sunday morning at the Chicago Rockford International Airport.
City leaders say they had been informed with short notice that a plane carrying migrants from Texas was scheduled to land in Rockford. The city says there were 355 people onboard and says they were immediately boarded on buses and then Winnebago County Sheriff’s deputies escorted the buses to I-90 en route to Chicago.
The city is in contact with the Texas Department of Emergency Management who is managing the situation.
City leaders say they are not aware of any other flights from Texas coming into Rockford. If more flights do arrive in coming days, Rockford will activate its local Emergency Operations Center to coordinate logistics and planning to ensure safety.
The City of Chicago and suburbs have recently adopted ordinances with certain requirements and penalties related to the arrival of migrants. As a result, the governor of Texas has redirected buses and planes to other nearby cities.
This is a developing story.