Three busloads of immigrant families arrived from Texas near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris on Christmas Eve in record-breaking cold weather. This was reported by local associations in Washington.
Texas authorities have not confirmed their involvement, but these may be actions consistent with previous actions by US border state governors who intended to draw attention to the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Tatiana Laborde, director general of Samu First Response, says the buses, which arrived late Saturday, carried about 110 to 130 people. Despite temperatures around -9 degrees Celsius, some migrants only wore T-shirts. It was the coldest Christmas Eve on record in Washington. The association members prepared buses to take the migrants to a church, where they then stayed overnight.
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Local organizers had expected the buses to arrive on Sunday, but found out on Saturday that the group would arrive in Washington early, Laborde said. There were also small children on board.
Samu First Response is an organization working with the city of Washington to help the thousands of migrants who have poured into the city from the South in recent months. Most of those arriving aboard the three buses were destined for other destinations and are expected to stay in Washington only for a short time.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment Sunday morning. His office said last week that since April, Texas has offered bus rides to Washington, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia for more than 15,000 people. Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, have slammed President Joe Biden for his handling of the US-Mexico border, where thousands of people attempt to cross the border every day, many seeking asylum. Officials on both sides of the border are seeking help setting up shelters and services for migrants, some of whom are sleeping on the streets.
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Republicans argue that Biden and Harris, who have been dubbed the US government’s liaison on the causes of migration, have eased restrictions that have prompted many people to leave their home countries. White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan called the arrival of the buses a “cruel, dangerous and shameful stunt”. “As we’ve said time and time again, we’re willing to work with anyone — Republican or Democrat — on real solutions, like the sweeping immigration reform and border security measures that President Biden sent to Congress on his first day in office leading those political games.” going nowhere and just endangering lives,” Hasan said in a statement today.