Texas Governor Greg Abbott has resumed the strategy he first tried out last year, sending busloads of illegal migrants from his state to one of the Democrats' "sanctuary cities" - Washington, DC.
About 50 migrants were dropped off at Vice President Kamala Harris' residence, at Number One Observatory Circle, with a second carrying over 30 migrants to the city, according to Abbott’s office. Videos of the dropoff were circulated on the internet. The illegals came from the border town of Del Rio, South Texas, according to local reports.
Twitter screenshot showing migrants being bussed to the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., where Vice President Kamala Harris’s home is located.
© Photo : Twitter
"Until President Biden steps up and does his job, Texas will continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities to provide relief to our overwhelmed border towns," Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for the Lone Star State governor.
Biden's Border 'Disaster'
The relocation of migrants was not a new tactic, as previously a bus of migrants was dropped off outside of Harris’s home on Christmas in 2022, and migrants were also bused to the Naval Observatory last September and October. Texas Governor Greg Abbott seized upon this "in your face" approach last year in protest against the Joe Biden administration’s "lax" border policies.
Besides Washington, Abbott's office is believed to have sent more than 17,500 migrants to New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia since last April. It was specified that migrants were not forced to board the shuttle buses, but offered to do so voluntarily.
Authorities in Texas, followed by other southern states, such as Arizona, complained of being inundated with "hordes of illegal immigrants," and began delivering them north, to the major Democratic Party strongholds, in 2022. When Florida joined the fray last year, it chartered two planes to take 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard. The affluent resort in Massachusetts was chosen as a deliberate snub.
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Faced with a barrage of criticism over the controversial strategy since the outset, Abbott reiterated that border towns lacked the capacity to handle the influx of migrants. he also dismissed accusations of using the illegals as a political stunt.
“[Harris is] the border czar, and we felt that if she won’t come down to see the border, if President Biden will not come down and see the border, we will make sure they see it firsthand,” Abbott insisted last year.
According to Abbott, Biden’s border "disaster" was a "catastrophe of your own making," as he added that Texas "has borne a lopsided burden caused by your open border policies.”
When Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot late last month sent Abbott a letter, saying his actions were "inhumane and dangerous," the governor wrote back, saying:
"To provide much-needed relief to our overrun border communities, Texas began busing migrants to sanctuary cities such as your 'Welcoming City,' along with Washington, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia, with more to come. Until Biden secures the border to stop the inflow of mass migration, Texas will continue this necessary program."
The recent relocation of migrants came as Title 42, the Trump-era health policy that allowed for prompt deportations of illegal migrants to Mexico or their origin countries, expired. Ahead of the developoment, Greg Abbott announced that Texas will deploy a newly created National Guard unit, called the Texas Tactical Border Force, to intercept migrants amid an anticipated surge in arrivals.
"They will be deployed to hot spots along the border to intercept, to repel and to turn back migrants who are trying to enter Texas illegally," he stated.
Meanwhile, top Biden administration officials have been reported as acknowledging that they expect record levels of border crossings in what they called a "difficult transition" post Title 42 that could stretch well into the summer months.