(DCWatchdog.com) – This week, a bus transporting dozens of illegal immigrants from Texas arrived in Washington, D.C. The bus was carrying out the plans of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who promised to bus those illegally crossing the southern border in protest of the Biden administration’s border policies.
Last week, Abbott announced he would be giving the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) direction to bus illegal immigrants released from federal custody to Washington D.C. and other states outside of Texas.
A report by Fox News reveals the bus arrived at 8 a.m. local time and carried immigrants from Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had been transported from Texas’ Del Rio sector.
Officials checked in the group of migrants as they exited the bus one at a time, except for families who left the bus together. They also had their wristbands cut off before being told they could go.
It appears that Abbott’s plans are having the desired effect. The TDEM has revealed that many of the communities who first reached out for support had reported that the federal government has stopped dropping off immigrants following Abbot’s April 6 announcement.
However, before Wednesday’s busload, many questioned the legitimacy of Abbott’s promise to bus migrants to Washington D.C. The White House called it a “publicity stunt,” a sentiment even shared among some of the state’s Republican lawmakers, with Rep. Matt Schaefer saying the move by Abbott was a “gimmick.”
Over the weekend, TDEM dispatched buses to communities affected by these illegal immigrants, stating it would identify these migrants before transporting them to the Capital. The agency also noted that each bus could safely transport 40 migrants.
Despite Abbott moving ahead with his promise, the legality of his strategy has come into question as states, according to the 2012 Arizona v. the United States decision, do not have the right to create their own immigration policies.
Abbott’s response to this has been defiant, as he said in a statement, “Texans demand and deserve an aggressive, comprehensive strategy to secure our border—not President Biden’s lackluster leadership.”
He concluded: “As the federal government continues to roll back commonsense policies that once kept our communities safe, our local law enforcement has stepped up to protect Texans from dangerous criminals, deadly drugs, and illegal contraband flooding into the Lone Star State.”
