At least 70 migrants have been dropped off at the doorstep of Kamala Harris in Washington DC in the past 24 hours as the Texas governor continues his policy of busing migrants from his state to Democrat-run cities.
Greg Abbott, the governor, has sent at least 17,000 migrants from Texas to D.C., New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia since April 2022. share the burden.
“The reason we move migrants all over the country is because small towns on the border, like Del Rio and Eagle Pass, are not able to cope with the number of people crossing the border,” he told Fox News.
“And we need to relieve congestion in small communities and transport them to larger communities.”
Video on Thursday evening showed about 30 migrants disembarking from buses parked outside the Naval Observatory, where Harris lives with her husband Doug Emhoff. The clip was filmed shortly before Title 42 border rules were lifted – a move many expect will spark a wave of migrants trying to cross.
On Thursday, migrants are pictured disembarking a bus in Washington DC after traveling from Texas
Kamala Harris speaks at the National Museum of Asian Art in DC on Thursday, as migrants were dropped off in front of her home
The Naval Observatory is home to the Vice President’s residence
It was unclear whether she was home: Earlier Thursday, she attended an event at the National Museum of Asian Art in DC.
On Wednesday, a bus carrying 40 migrants arrived at its gates.
The mainly Venezuelan men, women and children were taken care of by the organization SAMU First Response and Mutual Aid, which had to provide them with emergency shelter and orientation on possible next steps.
It is the second time busloads of migrants have been sent to the VP’s home after Abbott transported arrivals from the southern border to the same address last year.
DC’s temporary housing program has reached capacity and has run out of space as of last week, according to the district’s Department of Human Services, with 1,249 migrants from 370 families spread across three area hotels.
New York City is also struggling to accommodate their newcomers: Abbott said more than 5,700 have been bussed to New York from his state.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams says 61,000 migrants have arrived in his city in the past year and is appealing for federal assistance.
On Monday, New York city department heads were asked to come up with possible locations for new migrant shelters: the Flatiron Building, tents in Central Park and hangars at JFK were all suggested.
Adams signed an executive order on Wednesday to lift parts of a 40-year-old rule that the city must provide a bed for anyone seeking one. Migrant families can now be forced to share communal shelters: previously they had to be given their own room.
Adams’ executive order also eased the timetable for providing accommodations and allowed people to be evicted from migrant hotels.
Texas governor Greg Abbott defended sending his state’s migrants to the rest of the country, insisting it was about burden-sharing
A bus carrying the Texas migrants arrives at the Port Authority bus station in New York on May 3
Hours before Title 42 was lifted, hundreds of migrants lined up on US soil in Yuma to begin the asylum application process. The number has risen sharply in recent days
Hundreds of migrants, mostly from Venezuela, continue to arrive on foot at the US-Mexico border, near El Paso, Texas
Migrants wait to try to reach the US via the Rio Grande River as seen from Matamoros, Tamaulipas state, Mexico on Thursday
The strain on the system — with 10,000 migrants arriving a day at the U.S.-Mexico border — comes as pandemic-era border restrictions, Title 42, are lifted.
Under Title 42, migrants can be returned immediately to Mexico or their home country.
The Biden administration argued that all pandemic-era policies should be lifted, and Title 42 was revoked at midnight Eastern Time on Thursday.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz was in Brownsville, Texas, Thursday night to see the border crisis firsthand.
Cruz appeared enraged when he was surrounded by members of the Border Patrol and Texas National Guard, accusing the Biden administration of “deliberately” creating the situation.
“We are witnessing an absolute mockery on our southern border,” Cruz began in a four-minute diatribe.
On Monday, we detained more than 10,000 people at the border – the highest level in history.
“On Tuesday, we detained more than 10,000 people at the border, again the highest level in history.
“There are right now, where we are, over 22,000 people camped just south of the border, ready to cross,” Cruz explained.
“In this location alone, we’ve had more than 35,000 Venezuelans cross illegally in less than a month, right here.”
Republican Senator Ted Cruz visited Brownsville, Texas, Thursday night to observe the border crisis just hours before Title 42 restrictions expired
Cruz spoke to members of the US Border Patrol and praised their efforts
Cruz characterized the situation at the border as “an invasion” and accused the Biden administration of wanting to increase numbers, while praising Border Patrol
On Thursday evening, Cruz predicted that the situation would worsen further
Joe Biden admitted chaos was likely to ensue in the beginning, and his Homeland Security Secretary warned migrants not to believe the “lies of smugglers,” insisting that the border was not open.
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said this week that his officials reported traffickers telling migrants the border was being opened to all.
“We have 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers on the southwestern border and have deployed thousands of troops and contractors, and more than 1,000 asylum officers to help enforce our laws,” Mayorkas said Thursday.
“Don’t believe the lies of smugglers. The border is not open.’
Mayorkas and the Biden administration have faced an avalanche of criticism over the scenes at the border, as thousands of migrants gather in hopes of entering the US now that restrictions have been lifted.
Mayorkas on Thursday tried to tell those who wanted to cross that it was a bad move.
“Starting tonight, people who arrive at the border without using a legal path will be deemed ineligible for asylum,” he tweeted.
“We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the US
“People who do not use available legal routes to re-enter the US now face harsher consequences, including a minimum five-year ban from re-entering and potential criminal charges.
“Together with our partners from the federal government and the Western Hemisphere, we are prepared for this transition.”
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, posted a video to Twitter on Thursday evening warning of severe penalties if migrants cross illegally as Title 42 is revoked
As of tonight, people who arrive at the border without using a legal path will not be eligible for asylum. We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the US (1/4) pic.twitter.com/JnpSw6793v
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) May 12, 2023
The expiring rules have been in effect since March 2020.
They enabled border officials to quickly return asylum seekers across the border to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
US authorities have unveiled strict new measures to replace Title 42, which crack down on illegal crossings and establish legal pathways for migrants who apply online, find a sponsor and undergo background checks.
If successful, the reforms could fundamentally change the way migrants arrive at the US-Mexico border.