A third bus from Texas filled with illegal immigrants rolled into Washington, D.C. Friday morning, near the U.S. Capitol Building, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continued his battle with the Biden regime over its immigration policies, according to Fox News.
The group spoke with the press in Spanish, and eventually called together a prayer circle not far from where they were dropped off.
The first bus arrived in D.C. on Wednesday morning with 24 migrants from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. The second bus arrived during the early morning hours on Thursday, and had only 14 migrants from the same countries, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported. The third bus transported around 30 migrants, according to Fox News, bringing the total number of migrants bused to D.C. to 70.
Watch Live: Third Bus of Migrants Arrives in DC from Texas https://t.co/pIgfPAWA4J via @BreitbartNews
— Mary Kathleen Peden (@PedenMary) April 15, 2022
Abbott announced on April 6 that he was directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to transport illegal aliens released from federal custody in Texas to the nation’s capital.
The chartered buses were among several new measures announced by Abbott to help Texas deal with the massive influx of migrants expected to cross the border after the regime ends the Trump era Title 42 immigration order.
“What better place for them to go than the steps of the United States Capitol?” Abbott said on Fox News last last week. Abbott also ordered state troopers to conduct “enhanced safety inspections” of vehicles crossing at international points of entry.
The illegal border crossers choose to board Abbott’s buses on a voluntary basis, the Daily Caller noted.
Once they arrive in D.C., the migrants are helped by groups like Catholic Charities, which gives them a list of programs and services they offer, and can offer to refer them to other nonprofits in the area, organization spokesperson Kate Kennedy to the DCNF.
After they have been dropped off at D.C.’s Union Station, the migrants are able to get train, bus or metro tickets to their destination.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki initially dismissed Abbott’s announcement as a “publicity stunt,” then after the first bus arrived in D.C. on Wednesday, she thanked the Texas governor for “helping” the illegal aliens get to where they wanted to go.
“It’s nice the state of Texas is helping them get to their final destination, as they await their outcome of their immigration proceedings and they’re all in immigration proceedings,” Psaki told reporters.
More than 1.6 million people have illegally crossed the border into Texas in the last 15 months, Abbott recently stated.
“I think Gov. Abbott’s move in sending those buses to Washington, D.C., is reflective of a deep and ongoing frustration with the Biden administration’s handling of the border,” Rep. John Katko, the ranking member on the House Committee on Homeland Security, told Fox News Digital Friday.
“I just got done with a meeting of all the border sheriffs from California to Texas down here in El Paso, and it is clear to me that they are stretched beyond the maximum already, and that is only going to get worse once Title 42 is rescinded. In fact, I think they’re going to lose operational control of the border. And I think what the sending of the buses to Washington is reflective of is just a deep frustration that the Biden administration has no clue as to how bad things are, and they have no plan going forward on how to address it,” Katko said.
Katko said that border sheriffs he spoke with are worried about a “huge surge” of migrants in May after Title 42 is ended.
“They all acknowledge it will be an untenable situation,” said Katko, noting that it’s the reason that vulnerable Democrats, including Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., are “peeling away” from the administration and supporting keeping Title 42 in place.
As part of his efforts to prevent more illegal border crossings, the Texas governor has struck a deal with a Mexican state, saying that Texas will relax border inspections in exchange stepped up border enforcement on the Mexican side.
“It will remain this way as long as Nuevo Leon abides by this agreement,” Abbott said at a news conference with Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel Garcia.
Abbott said he has been contacted by every Mexican state bordering Texas complaining about the enhanced inspections of vehicles.
“Until those agreements are reached with those states, DPS will continue to inspect [trucks] in every state except Nuevo Leon,” Abbott said.
During an appearance on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Thursday, Abbott said: “The predictable result is that these governors of states that are connected to Texas would be knocking on our door begging for relief. As they beg for relief, we are demanding that they implement security measures that will reduce illegal immigration coming across the border.”