Following the death of a three-year-old child who died last week while en route to Chicago from Texas, two Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to stop Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott from transporting migrants to Democratic-sanctuary cities across the U.S. 

Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Jesús "Chuy" García of Illinois in a statement last Friday heavily criticized the controversial governor over his border control efforts, dubbed "Operation Lone Star," which has resulted in the transport of over 30,000 migrants to cities including Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC.

"Migrant parents make the journey to our country seeking safety and stability for their children. We are saddened and horrified, but not surprised, by the death of a three-year-old child on a state-sponsored bus from Texas to Chicago," the lawmakers said.

"For months, Operation Lone Star has trafficked asylum-seekers across the country in squalid conditions. Governor Abbott's barbaric practices are killing people, and the Biden administration has an obligation to stop them."

The child was en route to Chicago from Brownsville, Texas, according to officials.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management confirmed the death of the child and said that the passengers on the bus had been screened by US Customs and Border Protection and had their temperatures checked as well as questioned about whether they required any medical attention before the long bus ride to the north. 

"Following this check, prior to boarding, no passenger presented with a fever or medical concerns," the department said in a statement. "Once the child presented with health concerns, the bus pulled over and security personnel on board called 911 for emergency attention."

"Every loss of life is a tragedy," the department also said. 

Castro, the San Antonio-area lawmaker, told The New York Times that the parents of the young child were on the bus as well and noticed that their child had developed an illness, which resulted in a fever and diarrhea but the child lost consciousness, according to Castro.

The child later died in Marion County, Illinois, in the southern region of the state after being treated by paramedics, according to The Associated Press. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health in a Thursday statement said that it was "working with local health officials, state police, and federal authorities to the fullest extent possible to get answers in this tragic situation."

The battle at the border has been one that Abbott and President Biden have long gone on, with Abbott accusing the administration of failing to secure the US-Mexico border as apprehensions began to skyrocket early in the president's first term.

The mayors of the Democratic-cities, most notably New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have also been highly critical of the Texas governor with Adams specifically stating that cities run by Black mayors have been targeted as part of the governor's immigration-related actions.