First migrant bus from Texas arrives in Washington, D.C.

The first bus carrying dozens of undocumented migrants arrived in Washington, D.C. from Texas on Wednesday morning, just days after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered that migrants released from federal custody in Texas be transported to the nation’s capital.

According to a Fox News report, the bus, carrying migrants from Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, arrived in the district at approximately 8 a.m. and parked just blocks away from the U.S. Capitol building. The migrants were initially detained in the Del Rio sector in Texas before being released and subsequently transported to Washington.

After the bus arrived in the capital, migrants disembarked one by one, except for family units who exited together, and checked in with officials who cut off the wristbands they were wearing before telling them they could go.

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.

But many critics have spoken out against Abbott’s plan.

When asked what preparations the administration had made to find migrants places to stay after Abbott ​announced his plan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said “I’m not aware of what authority the governor would be doing that under​,” adding “I think it’s pretty clear this is a publicity stunt.”

Even Texas Republican Rep. Matt Schaefer took to Twitter to blast the plan as a “gimmick.”

It’s a gimmick. #txlege https://t.co/pVFckS49WC

— Matt Schaefer (@RepMattSchaefer) April 6, 2022

According to TDEM, buses were dispatched over the weekend to communities along the border and agency officials worked with local authorities to identify the newly released migrants. The agency also stated that each bus currently has the capacity and supplies necessary to carry up to 40 migrants from Texas to Washington, D.C.

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."