A bus of migrants from Texas arrived near the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff live.
The latest busing effort by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott followed seven buses of migrants arriving in New York City on Wednesday and two more on Thursday, Fox News confirmed.
“Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” Abbott said in a press release last week regarding his state’s effort to crack down on the border crisis.
“Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden’s open border policies,” he added.
Many of the migrants, including men, women, and children, told NBC News that they had come to the U.S. from Venezuela. Volunteers from SAMU First Response, a humanitarian nonprofit, arrived to assist the migrants.
It’s not the first time Abbott has sent migrants near the vice president’s home. In September, buses arrived on two different occasions.
Texas has sent 8,100 migrants to Washington, D.C., since April, over 2,900 migrants to New York City since August 5, and more than 870 migrants to Chicago since August 31, according to the governor last week. The statistics do not include the latest migrants sent to the capital and New York City.
Abbott is one of three Republican governors who have sent migrants to other locations in response to President Joe Biden’s border policies. Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey has reportedly sent nearly 2,000 migrants to Washington over the past four months, according to KTVK-TV.
Last month, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis flew two planes of migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard.
“Yes, Florida can confirm the two planes with illegal immigrants that arrived in Martha’s Vineyard today were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” an official for DeSantis’ office said in a statement.
“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” the statement added.
Democrats have widely condemned the practice of busing or flying migrants. California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for the Justice Department to investigate.
Chicago Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot blasted Abbott after the first migrants arrived, despite her claim that Chicago is a sanctuary city.
“He is a man without any morals, humanity or shame,” Lightfoot claimed, arguing that Abbott had “inhumanely load[ed] them onto buses” and then cited “Gov. Abbott’s racist and xenophobic practices of expulsion.”
