WASHINGTON (AP) — Three buses of recent migrant families arrived from Texas near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in record-setting cold on Christmas Eve.
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Texas authorities have not confirmed their involvement, but the bus dropoffs are in line with previous actions by border-state governors calling attention to the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
The buses that arrived late Saturday outside the vice president’s residence were carrying around 110 to 130 people, according to Tatiana Laborde, managing director of SAMU First Response, a relief agency working with the city of Washington to serve thousands of migrants who have been dropped off in recent months.
Local organizers had expected the buses to arrive Sunday but found out Saturday that the group would get to Washington early, Laborde said. The people on board included young children.
Some were wearing T-shirts despite temperatures hovering around 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 degrees Celsius). It was the coldest Christmas Eve on record for Washington, according to the Washington Post.
Laborde said employees had blankets ready for the people who arrived on Christmas Eve and moved them quickly onto waiting buses for a ride to an area church. A local restaurant chain donated dinner and breakfast.
Most of the arrivals were headed to other destinations and expected to remain in Washington only briefly.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment Sunday morning. His office said last week that Texas has given bus rides to more than 15,000 people since April to Washington, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, are strong critics of President Joe Biden on his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, where thousands of people are trying to cross daily, many to seek asylum. Officials on both sides of the border are seeking emergency help in setting up shelters and services for migrants, some of whom are sleeping on streets.
Republicans argue Biden and Harris, designated the administration’s point person on the root causes of migration, have relaxed restrictions that induced many people to leave their countries of origin. Biden has ended some policies but kept others enacted by former President Donald Trump, whose administration also grappled with spikes in border crossings and at one point separated immigrant families and children as a deterrence initiative.
We have seen nothing yet it’s only the beginning it will only get worse
I don’t understand all the mindless criticism of the Republican governors.
Let’s review:
This administration, on its first day, ended the Trump administration policies that kept border crossings at literally a fraction of what they are. This administration stopped construction of the fence literally on Day 1 of its tenure.
The migrants have to go somewhere, and these Governors have every right to bus them out of their State.
This isn’t the way. It’s freezing outside 🙁
Doug Emhoff, being a Yid, should of invited them in for a warm meal and a place to sleep. He’s a rich guy so he can afford it.
That’s a nice Christmas gift for Kamala ! Enjoy them make sure they get blankets and hotel room nearby…
Why did they drop them off NEAR Kamala’s house? Why didn’t they ring the bell and invite the illegals INTO their house? And if Kamala is so inhospitable that she would not invite them in, they should have put up some tents on her lawn for them.
Were they vetted for murderous drugs that are killing thousands
daily ? Soon Americans will be nodding away like in the Chinese opium era a cenrury ago.
About just as cold in El Paso where they originated except there there were thousands more.
Best news
kamala – that’s your holiday present…………………….
Right on, Governor Abbott, right on!
Look how low the bible-thumping Governor of Texas will go on his holiest of days with his co-religionists in order to score political points with his constituents!
Republicans little stunts keep backfiring on them. They think they’re owning the libs with performative cruelty towards migrants. And instead dems keep showing up with kindness and human decency to take care of these people. Will Rs ever realize how bad they’re making themselves look? Probably never!
The truth is that almost every single one is entitled to enter the US legally to apply for asylum — and that the overwhelming majority will have their asylum claims denied and will be forced back to their home country.