Abbott sends third migrant bus from Texas to Washington, D.C.

A third bus carrying approximately 30 undocumented migrants arrived in the nation’s capital on Friday morning as part of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to push back against the federal government’s lax immigration policies amid the growing crisis along the U.S.’ southern border.  

Texas first started bussing migrants to Washington, D.C. on April 8 after Abbott instructed Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) officials to transport migrants released by federal authorities in the Lone Star State to the district in a move described by the White House as a “publicity stunt,” Fox News reported.

"What better place for them to go than the steps of the United States Capitol?" Abbott asked "America's Newsroom" hosts just last week. 

The first bus carrying dozens of undocumented migrants arrived in Washington, D.C. from Texas on Wednesday morningcarrying migrants from Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Although critics have blasted Abbott’s bus tactic as mere political theater, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has said that the governor’s plan is working. Agency officials told Fox News on Monday that local governments that originally reached out for support have reported that the federal government is no longer dropping immigrants in their towns since Abbott announced his plan last week.

Texas’ Republican governor has been highly critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis and has publicly blasted Washington for failing to properly assess the situation along the southern border.

According to Abbott, more than 1.6 million people have already crossed into Texas illegally in the last 15 months alone – and many more are expected as the administration continues to push forward with plans to repeal Title 42.

Furthermore, approximately 220,000 known “gotaways” have entered the country after evading Border Patrol since October 2021, DHS data shows.

The legality of Abbott’s directive remains in question, however, as the 2012 Supreme Court case, Arizona v. the United States, prevents states from enacting their own immigration policies.

The governor, however, has insisted that the federal government has failed to adequately address the situation, citing President Biden’s recent announcement that he would be rescinding Title 42 – a Trump-era law which was used to expel migrants swiftly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Texans demand and deserve an aggressive, comprehensive strategy to secure our border—not President Biden's lackluster leadership," Abbott said in a statement. "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."