Abbott Delivers 2 Buses of Migrants to Kamala Harris’ Door

The governor of Texas claims his state sent two buses of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’ mansion in the nation’s capital. The buses resulted in a Thursday early arrival of illegal migrants that stunned volunteers who claimed they weren’t prepared to greet them there.

Hundreds of migrants, some carrying items in trash bags, were left on sidewalks and grass outside the guarded US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, on Thursday morning while volunteers tried to make accommodations for them.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, one of at least three Republican governors who have claimed responsibility for busing or flying migrants north this year to protest the Biden administration’s immigration policy, said Thursday that his state sent the buses to Harris’ home.

Abbott tweeted, “VP Harris insists our border is secure and denies the crisis.” Abbott added that they were sending migrants to her neighborhood to urge the Biden Administration to do its duty and control the border.

Since Abbott began bringing buses of migrants to Washington in April, the vehicles usually have stopped near Union Station, and volunteers said they were prepared to greet two buses Thursday at the station. However, the Thursday buses made a four-mile detour to the Naval Observatory.

According to Tatiana Laborde, general director of SAMU First Response, one of the organizations assisting migrants in Washington, no warning was given. By the time their crew arrived, the migrants were disoriented, Laborde told CNN late Thursday morning. She added that the immigrants were unsure of where they were. This is a pretty residential area, she stated.

Families and young men were among the passengers on Thursday. According to volunteers, 70% to 80% of the migrants are from Venezuela.

According to Abbott’s office, the migrants totaled more than 100, and their countries of origin included Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Nicaragua, and Panama.

The refugees were finally relocated to a nearby church while they sorted out where to go next. Volunteers said that some are attempting to go to other parts of the United States, including New York and Chicago.

Volunteers were organizing with other agencies late Thursday morning to pick them up elsewhere, and they are anticipating that roughly half of the people on the bus today to be on their way later this afternoon, Laborde said. Migrants are welcome in Washington, but a “lack of collaboration” from Texas complicates operations, according to Laborde. “Yes, we are receiving them,” Laborde said, but what occurred this morning with their being placed in the middle of the sidewalk without coordination makes their job incredibly difficult.

On Thursday, the chairman of a civil rights organization that works with Hispanic Americans criticized Abbott over the busing. According to the head of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Domingo Garcia, they were physically thrown in front of the vice president’s residence like human rubbish. That is un-Christian, un-Texan, and un-American, and it should not be tolerated. Garcia stated that the volunteer-run organization would travel to Eagle Pass and Del Rio to stop the buses “before they depart” by positioning people in front of the cars and informing these immigrants of their rights so that they are not used as political pawns. That effort will most certainly begin within the next week, he stated.

It was unclear whether Harris was there when the migrants were dropped off. She had a morning function at the White House, about a 2.5-mile drive away. This month, the mayor of Washington, DC, declared an emergency due to the influx of newcomers.

After Texas began busing migrants to the nation’s capital, Arizona quickly followed suit, and the two states have transported thousands of migrants to Washington. Texas’ endeavor has been broadened to encompass New York City and Chicago. And last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed credit for dispatching two planes delivering migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public health emergency in response to Texas and Arizona’s actions last week to assist officials in deploying resources more quickly. She announced the establishment of a new government office to provide necessities to arriving migrants, such as food, transportation, emergency medical treatment, and transportation to connect them to resettlement agencies. Bowser also chastised Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for their actions last week, saying they were causing a “growing humanitarian disaster.”

Abbott said on Thursday that he would not back down. Texas will continue to send migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, DC; Abbott stated in a news release that unless Biden and Harris stand up and perform their duties to protect the border, the bus will continue. According to the announcement, Texas’ “busing strategy” has delivered over 10,000 migrants to Washington, New York, and Chicago since the spring.