CHICAGO — As Democratic cities deal with a flood of migrants thanks to Republican Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star bussing program, one Democratic Congressman is calling for a Justice Department probe of the Texas governor.

On Wednesday came a new effort to stop Texas Governor Greg Abbott from bussing migrants and asylum seekers to sanctuary cities.

Congressman Jonathan Jackson, who represents Chicago’s South Side, wants the Justice Department and Homeland Security to investigate what he calls “alien smuggling,” being carried out under the direction of Governor Abbott.

“Republican Governor Abbott in Texas who is politically exploiting and commercially manipulating this vulnerable population,” Jackson said. “He’s sending these asylum-seekers outside of the normal immigration processing channel.”

In a letter to the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security, Jackson writes, “Simply put, the migrant crisis in Chicago—and other Democratic-led sanctuary cities—is a man-made crisis manufactured by the illegal actions of Governor Abbott.”

He continues: “Governor Abbott’s actions are illegal, xenophobic, inhumane, and un-American.”

“He’s committing the federal offense of alien smuggling, domestic transporting, harboring, conspiracy, aiding and abiding,” Jackson said.

For more than a year and a half, Governor Abbott has bussed approximately 50,000 migrants to Democratic cities across America. Abbott said he started the program to alter the debate over immigration.

And it has. Caring for new arrivals has strained resources in cities like Chicago and New York and its exposed divisions among Democrats on immigration. Democrats say this was Abbott’s plan all along.   

“He has made this a war on the poor,” Jackson said. “I want to stop the end to the human misery.”

The DOJ has already sued Governor Abbott over some of his immigration policies. WGN News has not heard back from Abbott’s office for comment.