Bussing migrants to sanctuary states and cities led by Democrats put Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the public’s spotlight when it comes to the migrant crisis that bothers millions of Americans across the nation. Since launching Operation Lone Star more than three years ago, transporting migrants out of the state has emerged as the most controversial one because Abbott managed to create chaos in almost every city where he decided to transfer immigrants.
Texas has a has a constitutional right to secure the border
The initiative is part of a broader set of contentious measures put forth by Texas leadership under Operation Lone Star to secure the border and prevent thousands of migrants from entering the country through Texas. Data from the governor’s office shows that Texas has transported more than 105,000 migrants in over two years, as Abbott explains it as “Texas constitutional right to defend itself and secure the border” in the absence of adequate government help. As Texas leadership continues to enforce Operation Lone Star with the help of some other Republican-led states, Abbott, the biggest proponent of the operation, simultaneously receives growing support from people who believe in the right to secure the border, while others oppose these actions and attack Abbott for worsening the migrant chaos.
NYC hit the hardest by this measure
From the data, it looks like Abbott specifically targeted three cities: New York City, Chicago, and Denver, all of which received 39,600, 32,500, and 16,900 migrants, respectively. These cities now feel the financial strain as the unplanned influx of migrants disrupts their budgets and services and raises public safety concerns. Since the start of the week, New York City has announced the start of a measure that aims to regulate migrants’ limited stays in migrant shelters, while Denver local officials fear community uncertainty as migrants oppose measures taken by the city in what seems to be a growing power in communities with a high number of migrants.
Commitment to continue to flood cities with migrants
On Saturday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott promised to keep sending migrants to New York City and criticized Mayor Eric Adams while speaking at a National Rifle Association event.
“Unless and until Joe Biden does finally begin to enforce immigration laws I will continue to bus those migrants to sanctuary cities across the United States of America,” Abbott said to loud cheers while delivering remarks at the 2024 National Rifle Association convention in Dallas. “Buncha hypocrites,” he added. A woman in the crowd yelled at him to send the migrants to New York, to which he responded, “oh, they’re going to New York — trust me.”
Confrontation with NYC Mayor Adams
A spokesperson for Mayor Adams called Abbott “a coward” for his bussing program after Abbott’s comments that “Mayor Adams needs something to do.”
“Governor Abbott is a coward who uses human beings as political pawns, and has done nothing while murder rates in Texas have skyrocketed under his lack of leadership,” the spokesperson told The New Post in a statement. “If anyone ‘needs something to do,’ it’s him,” they added. Adams’ administration has provided “compassion and care” to more than 197,000 migrants since the spring of 2022, his office noted.
About the lawsuit
In a surprising move aimed at halting Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s practice of sending busloads of asylum seekers to New York City, Mayor Eric Adams filed a lawsuit in January against 17 charter bus companies employed by Texas. He is demanding that these companies pay back the city for the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on providing shelter to these migrants. By April, at least one company implicated in the lawsuit had agreed to cease its operations temporarily. The lawsuit is asking for $708 million to cover the expenses New York City has incurred for shelter, food, and healthcare. Mayor Adams stated in January that these companies breached state law by failing to cover the costs associated with caring for the migrants.
