Texas Gov. Abbot sends first bus of immigrants to New York City 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has started to send buses full of undocumented immigrants from Texas to New York City as he continues to push back against the nation’s immigration policies and growing border crisis. 

The first bus arrived on Friday morning at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan with around 50 migrants from Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Venezuela. 

"We came here because they said they would help us find a place to sleep to not have to stay in the street," said Leidy, who traveled with her two kids and husband from Bogota because they had trouble finding work. 

Abbott has sent more than 6,000 undocumented migrants to Washington D.C. since April. “What better place for them to go than the steps of the United States Capitol?" Abbott asked at the time.

"Because of President Biden's continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the State of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe," Abbott said. 

"In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief."

Abbott said New York City’s Mayor, Eric Adams, could provide services and housing for the new arrivals from Texas. 

However, Adam’s office has criticized Abbott’s efforts to bus migrants to Washington, D.C., complaining that some of them had made their way to New York City and had overwhelmed its homeless shelter system. 

"Governor Abbott is finally admitting to what we've known he's been doing all along. His continued use of human beings as political pawns is disgusting, and an embarrassing stain on the state of Texas. New York will continue to welcome asylum seekers with open arms, as we have always have, but we are asking for resources to help do so. We need Washington, DC's assistance in dealing with the cruel political games being played by inept politicians like the governor of Texas,” said the mayor’s press secretary, Fabien Levy. 

"We are here to welcome them, but what Governor Abbot is doing is just pure cowardice," said NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs Manuel Castro.