Texas Governor Greg Abbott is deploying more buses to the border towns of Eagle Pass and El Paso as a way to relieve pressure on migrant shelters. In a statement Friday, Abbott said Texas border towns should not have to shoulder the burden of Biden's border policies. The buses will move the asylum seekers to so-called sanctuary cities. So far, nearly 12-thousand migrants have been bused from Texas to Washington, DC, and 14-thousand have been shipped to New York City.
This is the statement released by the Governor's Office:
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso to assist these border communities overwhelmed and overrun by President Joe Biden’s border crisis.
“President Biden’s continued refusal to secure our border invites thousands of illegal crossings into Texas and our nation each day,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas communities like Eagle Pass and El Paso should not have to shoulder the unprecedented surge of illegal immigration caused by President Biden’s reckless open border policies. I have directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional buses to send these migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities and provide much-needed relief to our overrun border towns. Until President Biden upholds his constitutional duty to secure America’s southern border, Texas will continue to deploy as many buses as needed to relieve the strain caused by the surge of illegal crossings.”
The buses in El Paso and Eagle Pass are being activated in addition to the ongoing state bus operations in Brownsville, Del Rio, Laredo, and McAllen.
In April 2022, Governor Abbott directed TDEM to charter transportation for migrants who have been processed and released by the federal government into Texas communities. To board a bus, a migrant must volunteer to be transported and show documentation of their release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
To date, Texas has bused:
- Over 11,900 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 14,800 migrants to New York City since August 2022
- Over 8,700 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 3,000 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 1,500 migrants to Denver since May 18
- Over 610 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14
Governor Abbott has taken unprecedented action to secure the border in the wake of the federal government’s inaction, including:
- Securing over $9.1 billion in funding for Texas’ border security efforts
- Launching Operation Lone Star and deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers
- Installing new floating marine barriers to deter illegal crossings in hotspots along the Rio Grande River
- Deploying the new Texas Tactical Border Force for targeted responses to intercept and repel illegal crossings at hotspots along the border
- Hiring Texas' first-ever Border Czar
- Taking aggressive action to aid border communities, including busing thousands of migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles
- Designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations to keep Texans safe amid the growing national fentanyl crisis
- Arresting and jailing criminals trespassing or committing other state crimes along the southern border
- Issuing an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return illegal immigrants to the border at ports of entry
- Allocating resources to acquire 1,700 unused steel panels to build the border wall in Texas
- Signing new laws to:
- Expand the authority and training of border personnel
- Make it easier to prosecute smugglers bringing people into Texas
- Crack down on human trafficking
- Enhance penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl
- Compensate landowners for property damage related to border crimes
- Issuing a disaster declaration for the border crisis
- Activating the Joint Border Security Operations Center (JBSOC) and directing the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Military Department, and Texas Division of Emergency Management to coordinate Texas’ response to secure the border
photo: Getty Images