A private plane carrying migrants from Texas landed early Sunday morning at the Rockford International Airport, marking the second such flight arranged by Texas officials. The migrants were swiftly offloaded and boarded onto buses destined for Chicago, according to officials.

The flight, a private Boeing 777 coming from San Antonio, carried approximately 355 migrants, as confirmed in a social media post by Rockford officials. The city officials were given limited notice about the arrival of the migrants.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson raised concerns about Texas Governor Greg Abbott's approach, suggesting that Abbott is deliberately causing chaos amid the ongoing migrant crisis. Mayor Johnson called for Congress to provide the necessary resources to address the issue and emphasized the need for better coordination between all levels of government.

The flight's arrival in Rockford appears to be an escalation of Texas' response to a recent Chicago ordinance that allowed the city to take legal action against "rogue" bus operators dropping off migrants outside approved hours and locations. Over the past few weeks, Texas officials have chosen to unload migrants just outside the limits of Chicago as well.

A joint statement from Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Winnebago County Board Chair Joe Ciarelli, and other local officials indicated that the buses were supposed to reach Chicago's landing zone. However, as of early Sunday afternoon, the buses had not arrived, according to Chicago officials. It was later discovered that the buses had dropped off passengers in various suburbs, and the migrants were making their way to the city via train and other means.

Law enforcement from Winnebago County trailed the buses until the McHenry County line before turning back, as mentioned in an updated Facebook post.

One group of about 30 migrants reportedly disembarked from a bus in Elgin on Sunday morning. They proceeded to walk to the Metra station and boarded the No. 2708 train at 9:55 a.m., heading towards Chicago, according to Elgin Mayor David Kaptain. Mayor Kaptain confirmed that all the train tickets were paid for.

Rockford officials stated that they were unaware of any additional flights bound for their city. They mentioned that the Texas Department of Emergency Management was managing the situation, and they would maintain contact for any future flights, activating their local Emergency Operations Center to ensure the safety of all involved.

This is the second time in a week that migrants have reportedly arrived without notice in Elgin. The previous incident involved migrants getting off a bus from Texas in downtown Elgin and heading to the Metra station, where they either caught a train into the city or were met by family or friends.

As of Sunday morning, Chicago had approximately 14,585 migrants staying at 27 active shelters. Around 600 migrants were awaiting placement, with some at Chicago police stations, O'Hare Airport, and the city's landing zone.

The ongoing situation has raised concerns about the lack of coordination and support for the migrants. Mayor Johnson criticized Gov. Abbott's practice of transporting migrants via airplanes without proper coordination, labeling it a matter of national security and emphasizing the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Metra, the local transportation agency, reported the arrival of approximately 75 buses transporting migrants at various outlying stations since December 19. Metra officials noted that they received no advance notification of these arrivals, despite migrants having fare cards. The migrants were ultimately transported to downtown stations and handed over to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) or picked up by their families and friends.

The city anticipated the arrival of 14 more buses by the end of Sunday, including the eight from Rockford. However, the numbers are subject to change due to the practice of drop-offs in adjacent suburbs.

As the migrant crisis continues, the need for improved coordination and adequate resources remains a priority for local officials, who are urging Congress to take action and address the ongoing humanitarian challenge.