AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso to assist in what he called a “border crisis.”
The buses in El Paso and Eagle Pass are being activated in addition to the ongoing state bus operations in Brownsville, Del Rio, Laredo, and McAllen, a news release from the governor’s office said.
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In April 2022, Abbott reportedly directed TDEM to charter transportation for migrants who have been processed and released by the federal government into Texas communities. To board a bus, a migrant must volunteer to be transported and show documentation of their release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Abbott said.
“President Biden’s continued refusal to secure our border invites thousands of illegal crossings into Texas and our nation each day,” Abbott is quoted saying in the release. “Texas communities like Eagle Pass and El Paso should not have to shoulder the unprecedented surge of illegal immigration caused by President Biden’s reckless open border policies. I have directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional buses to send these migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities and provide much-needed relief to our overrun border towns. Until President Biden upholds his constitutional duty to secure America’s southern border, Texas will continue to deploy as many buses as needed to relieve the strain caused by the surge of illegal crossings.”
To date, the governor said Texas has bused:
- Over 11,900 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 14,800 migrants to New York City since August 2022
- Over 8,700 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 3,000 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 1,500 migrants to Denver since May 18
- Over 610 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14
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