Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Directs Migrants To Washington D.C. To Address Immigration Policies

A second bus chartered at the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott arrived in the nation’s capital early Thursday morning, carrying more than a dozen migrants and signaling Abbott’s frustration with the Biden administration’s immigration policies. 

Abbott announced last week that he was directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to begin transporting migrants released from federal custody in Texas to the nation’s capital and other locations outside of the state. 

“To help local officials, whose communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration,” said Gov. Abbott at a press conference, “Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants, who have been dropped off by the Biden administration, to Washington D.C. We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.” 

As was the case with the first bus, which arrived yesterday, this one dropped the passengers directly in front of an office complex near the Capitol, and just across the street from Union Station, that houses media organizations such as NBC, C-SPAN, and Fox News. In each instance, representatives from Catholic Charities were on hand to help the individuals and families get situated. 

"These are all migrants who have been processed by CBP and are free to travel," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Wednesday, "so it's nice the state of Texas is helping them get to their final destination as they await in their outcome of their immigration proceedings. And they're all in immigration proceedings." 

It’s not clear if what Texas is doing is legal, since border control and immigration law are matters reserved for federal authorities, not for the states. 

Administration officials have characterized the action as a publicity stunt and say Texas cannot force any of the migrants to board one of their charter buses. 

“They would have to voluntarily be put on the bus,” said Psaki, “and if there are concerns about that, we would expect they would contact the appropriate authorities.” 

The White House is more concerned with the other action Gov. Abbott announced last week -- enhanced safety inspections of all trucks crossing international points of entry into Texas. Customs and Border Protection already does its own inspections, and the Texas action has caused a major backlog of goods trying to enter the country 

"There's over $1 million in trade crossing over the U.S.-Mexico border every minute," said Psaki, "these actions are impacting people's jobs and the livelihoods of hardworking families in Texas and across the country." 

Gov. Abbott has refused to back down, despite pressure from trucking groups, Mexico, and Texas businesses. 

"The true fix for the clogged borders begins with the White House," Abbott said at a news conference Wednesday. "President Biden must assert the national security priority that comes with being the commander in chief of the United States." 

Abbott says, until then, Texas will use its own strategies to secure the border. 

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford issued the following statement:

“Every state is a border state when Biden has a wide open southern border. Biden continues to fail to secure the border and allow millions of migrants to pour into states like Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona. Cartels are the big winner as they smuggle drugs, weapons, and people across our southern border and into our neighborhoods. Since Biden is releasing illegal border crossers into the country with notices to appear in court six years from now, states like Texas are moving the consequences of Biden’s apathy to his front yard in Washington, DC. Biden can no longer ignore the chaos he’s caused.” – US Senator James Lankford (R-OK)