Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Wednesday that the first group of unlawful migrants had successfully arrived in Los Angeles.
The people were dropped off at Union Station, according to a press release. Los Angeles has been a self-declared “sanctuary city” for unlawful migrants for several decades.
Abbott said, “Texas’ small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden’s refusal to secure the border,” per the press release.
“Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status,” he continued. “Our border communities are on the frontlines of President Biden’s border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border.”
Under Abbott’s busing initiative, over 21,600 unlawful migrants have been sent to the various self-declared sanctuary cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Denver, per the press release. These individuals reportedly sign consent forms and are given the option to choose where they will go.
California state Senator Scott Wiener denounced Abbott’s decision on Twitter, writing, “Sanctuary means people choose to go somewhere & we then treat them like human beings when they arrive. As opposed to treating people as sub-human & dumping them in a city thousands of miles away.”
Other California politicians also condemned the busing, with state Rep. Isaac Bryan writing, “This is not leadership. This is not compassion. Those seeking safety and refuge deserve better… we all deserve better.”
San Francisco has been a self-declared sanctuary city since 1989. The city claims to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our immigrant communities and fight for the progress we’ve achieved in this City. We are a sanctuary city, now, tomorrow and forever,” according to the mayor’s website.
“Sanctuary Cities are safer, heathier [sic], more productive places to live. San Francisco is a city that fights for what is right. We will not waver in our commitment to protect our residents,” the page continues.
A proposal from a San Francisco city supervisor to exclude people caught dealing fentanyl from the sanctuary designation stalled out recently.
Gov. Abbott has defended his program by explaining that self-declared sanctuary cities which claim to welcome and provide unlawful migrants with additional services ought to be more than capable of receiving a small fraction of those entering the country.
Doing so, Abbott’s administration suggests, is “providing much-needed relief to Texas’ overwhelmed border communities,” per the press release.
